Jun 1, 2020 · “The most distinctive part of the Atayal culture are facial tattoos. While men’s tattoos symbolize adulthood and bravery, women’s tattoos symbolize skilled weaving,” says JunYu Lin (Atayal), a 33-year-old music teacher in Yilan.

The absence of face tattoos obstructs both men and women to marriage, which leads to crowding out by the tribe. The Japanese banned the practice of tattooing in 1930 because of its association with headhunting. Still, face tattoos remained as a powerful emblem of …

Sep 27, 2019 · This award-winning documentary unveils an endangered face-tattoo culture of Atayal, a Taiwanese aboriginal tribe and a “trilemma” in cultural preservation. Should the Atayal tribe let the...

Oct 10, 2019 · Both subjects wait as a mixture of charcoal and pine tree oil is prepared, applied and slowly pushed under the sensitive skin on their cheeks and foreheads. This narrative describes traditional facial tattooing, the most significant coming-of-age ceremony for the Atayal, one of Taiwan’s sixteen recognized indigenous tribes.

Face Tattoo (ptasan): The face tattoo is a symbol of being an adult in the Atayal tradition. It is nice-looking and can expel evil, representing a traditional cultural value. Men tattoo their faces after hunting a head or hunting. Women must acquire weaving skills …

Facial tattoos are for Atayal men who have joined headhunting or hunting expeditions, and Atayal women who know how to weave. Atayal people believe after their souls leave the human world and arrive at ancestors’ place, they shall be recognized by tattoos on their faces.

Dec 7, 2016 · Most members of the Atayal community now opt for facial paintings in times of celebrations and festivals, instead of permanent ink. These tattoos, however, can still be observed among elders, who continue to proudly wear these marks of …

Jul 18, 2018 · Decades ago, Japanese colonists in Taiwan banned facial tattoos, decrying them as a form of mutilation. But now as activists and historians try to preserve Taiwan's fast disappearing aboriginal...

Dec 2, 2012 · The Atayal (泰雅) or Taya, or Tayal (aboriginal tribe in Taiwan) place great cultural significance on their facial tattoos (ptasan). According to legend, a stone called Pinspkan split open and three people emerged.

Atayal Facial Tattoos. The Atayal have traditionally worn distinctive facial tattoos. Only a few old people have them.