ABSTRACT
This chapter explores indigenous music, using the concept of Taiwan Dao, 'the island of Taiwan', as attributed to Taiwanese historian Cao Yong-he. Taiwan Dao stresses both the island and how the ocean provides its route to the world. The ocean–island dichotomy is reflected in government policy and in people’s attitudes which fluctuate between being outward-facing and settled, and which juxtapose the courage to explore the new with a sense of security gained from staying put. Taiwan’s cultural affiliation with China, in which Taiwanese Minnan (or at times, Han) is the dominant ethnicity, appears to be generally accepted, but island roots, in which indigenous traditions flourish, are also valued. Taiwan claims a moral right to be part of the world community, and one strategy used to work towards this is to boost its presence in cultural exchange, especially through the arts. In this, the culture of mountain and sea, and the music of Taiwanese indigenous people, is widely promoted.
