Every March, Tao elders hold a fish-summoning ceremony on the shore to announce the official start of the flying fish season (meyvanwa). From then until July, men paddle their carved canoes out to sea; flying fish leap out of the water toward the night lights and fall into the hulls, then are brought ashore, split open, and sun-dried into reserves that sustain the community for the rest of the year. This is not simply a species of fish — it is the core carrier of the Tao people's cosmology and philosophy of survival.
What is Orchid Island Flying Fish
The Tao word for flying fish is alibangbang; the scientific name is Exocoetidae. Each spring and early summer the fish ride the Kuroshio Current past the waters near Orchid Island. After catching them, the Tao remove the gills and entrails, wash the fish thoroughly, score and splay them open, then lay them on coral-rock frames or wooden racks to air-dry naturally. Sun and wind curing preserves them for several months. Dried flying fish, grilled until the skin chars, has firm, salty-fragrant flesh and is traditionally served with taro. Fresh flying fish is mainly grilled or boiled to preserve its pure ocean flavor.
The strictness of Tao flying fish culture is almost unmatched among Taiwan's indigenous peoples: there are gender-based restrictions on which parts may be eaten by women, rules governing the timing and rituals of fishing, prohibitions around how the fish must be handled, and codes of conduct for outsiders entering the village during the flying fish season. This entire cultural system has been registered as an intangible cultural asset of Taitung County, and comprehensive records are preserved by the Council of Indigenous Peoples under the Executive Yuan and at the Orchid Island Gallery of the National Museum of Prehistory. Outside visitors can sample dried flying fish dishes at tribal restaurants on Orchid Island after the season, but formal ceremonies are not open to outsiders.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Objective endorsements
- Tao flying fish culture has been registered as an intangible cultural asset of Taitung County — officially recognized as an important ethnic cultural heritage.
- The Orchid Island Gallery of the National Museum of Prehistory provides a comprehensive explanation of flying fish culture and is the most authoritative public source on the subject.
- The Council of Indigenous Peoples' introduction to Tao fish-eating culture details fishing rituals, taboos, and preservation methods.
Visiting tips
- Orchid Island's transport depends on ferry services and small planes; typhoon season may cause cancellations. Build flexible extra days into your schedule.
- The flying fish season (March to July) is the island's most culturally significant period, with more activity in the villages, but outsiders must not intrude uninvited into ceremonies.
Sources: Taitung County intangible cultural asset registration records, National Museum of Prehistory Orchid Island Gallery, Council of Indigenous Peoples' Tao fish-eating culture introduction. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own shots.