After a two-year hiatus, the beloved Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival has returned. Those wanting to get away from the stifling heat of the cities can once again experience water games, traditional folk dance performances and more at the YICF held in northeastern Taiwan’s Yilan County.
When organizers first put on the event in 1996, they hoped it could become a popular event staged annually. They were right about it being popular: every year an increasing number of tourists came to the festival to watch the many performances staged by local and overseas artists. In 2002, the number of tourists even reached a record high of 970,000.
But then there was a setback, followed by an even greater one. The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003 led to a suspension of the event; and almost every year typhoons have led to further closings. Then, in 2007, financial problems further forced the local government to cancel the event altogether.
Indeed, it has never been easy for Yilan, a low-income county with a population of just over 460,000, to host an international event on the magnitude of the YICF.
“When the government announced the cancellation of the YICF, many Yilanians were devastated. What they cared for, were proud of and could boast about was gone in a puff. This feeling of devastation and loss was very strong,” said Jean Lee, the main facilitator of the YICF and vice chief executive officer with the Lanyang Educational and Cultural Foundation.
This year, however, the fun and games are back. The festival runs from July 3 until Aug. 15.
“Currently, we average between 8,000 and 9,000 visitors during weekdays, a number that rises to about 20,000 during weekends,” Lee said. “If all goes well, meaning no typhoons or other external factors, the number of tourists is expected to reach 600,000 by the end of the festival.”
The county government has actively encouraged local Yilanians to participate in the festival, hoping that it will also allow them to form deep ties of friendship with their foreign guests.
One way of doing this has been to have locals become host families or “ambassadors,” whose tasks include welcoming foreign performance groups upon their arrival in Taiwan, showing them around Yilan, befriending them and seeing them off at the airport, Lee said.
“We hope the foreign performers are not just here to perform, but that they will also leave Yilan with a good impression of the place,” she added.
The YICF is both a performance festival and an exhibition, whose focus is on “play” and “having fun,” organizers said. The performances feature folk dances from different countries, while the exhibition displays and lets visitors experience traditional toys and crafts from around the world.
Simply put, the event is like a time machine taking tourists back to their childhood, to the games they enjoyed and toys they played with when they were children. At the same time, the festival gives visitors the opportunity to experience the cultures and traditions of foreign countries.
This year, organizers have invited a total of 19 folk dance groups from Taiwan and abroad, including groups from Cuba, Fiji and the Republic of Mali, all of which are participating in the event for the first time.
“We’ve learned a lot about other cultures and we’ve met new friends,” said Adi Mere Naulu Naileqenivanua Tavaiqia, head of the Fiji performance group Kabu Kei Vuda.
“You [Taiwan] have to be the most hospitable host I’ve come across! I’ve been to western countries, but they are not as hospitable as you guys,” she added.
“Your hospitality, service, this whole festival, your arrangements … everything here is excellent! Beyond excellent! We are blown away by it all and deeply appreciate everything. We are thankful to be given this opportunity to visit Taiwan.”
“This trip and event have opened the eyes of the children. It’s the first time they’ve been overseas and Taiwan is the first international country they’ve visited. For the first few days, I had to force them to call home, because they’d totally forgotten about their home, and had started enjoying making new friends and performing every day,” noted Tavaiqia.
“The thing I like most about this festival is making new friends and learning how to get along with members from other performance groups,” said a 14-year-old boy from Mexico’s Conjunto Artistico Zaacbe.
“Taiwan is a very clean and beautiful country, with people always respecting each other,” the Mexican boy added.
Besides the performances and exhibitions, about one-third of the YICF site is for water games. Situated on the Lanyang Plain, Yilan County has abundant water resources. Thus, the aim is to remind tourists of “the close relationship between people and water,” organizers of the YICF said.
“One of our plans for the festival next year is to add in more cultural aspects, like the performance of folk songs,” said Lee. Folk dances have always been the main feature in the performances. However, folk songs often come with the dances and are related to folk games.
“As long as the folk songs are passed on, the language and the games would be preserved,” noted Lee, adding that “My goal and ideal is to host a touching and culturally meaningful event.”
The YICF website quoted Udomsak Sakmunwong, president of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts, as once saying, “YICF is one of the best among all art festivals. … By holding YICF, we not only gain an understanding of Taiwan and Yilan’s traditional culture, but also exchange with others and improve Taiwan’s relationship with the world.”
For those ready to travel back in time and connect with the world, the YICF could be just the right place to “stay young and have fun.” (HZW)
Write to Grace Kuo at morningk@mail.gio.gov.tw