An Atayal warrior sculpture outside the Atayal Facial Tattoo Studio

After picking up Marvin and Nancy Couch, we were driven by our friend and guide, Eric Huang, to the Hualien area of Taiwan. Our first destination in the area was the Atayal Facial Tattoo Studio. This is a well-known place in Taiwan for the preservation of the Atayal culture, in particular the custom of tattoing, which helped define their society.

The building was located near the entrance to the Taroko National Park. It was a small building next to an indigenous-themed hotel. In the studio in which hung dozens of large, framed photographs of elderly indigenous people with facial tattoos. There were also a few indigenous artifacts that gave the place a museum feel. One could also buy indigenous arts and crafts, which the owner, Tien Keui-shih, sells to support his mission of preservation. You can view the web site for the Atayal Facial Tattoo Studio at http://atayal.cjb.net.