🛶 Traditional Canoe Racing 🛶
The traditional paddling competition at the Games will be conducted using the tatala, the traditional plank boat of Taiwan’s Yami (Tao) people from Orchid Island (Lanyu), Taiwan.
Indigenous representative teams from around the world will personally paddle the tatala—which has been made by Yami (Tao) artisans using traditional methods—to race in Kaohsiung’s Lotus Pond. For the Yami (Tao) people, the tatala is an essential partner in life at sea, reflecting the people’s familiarity with tides, wind direction, and the marine environment, and serving as a core symbol of their ocean culture.
The selection of the tatala as the official race vessel for this traditional paddling event is a first attempt in the Games, allowing Taiwan indigenous peoples’ ocean culture to be presented to the world in a more direct manner, and enabling athletes from all countries to personally experience this craft and skill originating from the island.
When athletes from different countries paddle the tatala on the same waterway, besides showcasing speed, coordination, and rhythm, they allow each other to see the different ways indigenous peoples connect with their aquatic environments through a shared paddling experience.
#Connecting the World’s Indigenous Peoples
#Let the World See the Strength and Beauty of Indigenous Peoples
December 10–12, 2025
Pingtung County Lai Yi Senior High School • Kaohsiung Lotus Pond Area