Lanyu Plank Canoe Recreates 300-Year-Old Sea Route, Arrives in Batanes, Philippines This Afternoon [Video]

Central News Agency Report

(CNA reporter Chang Hsiung-feng, Taipei, June 16) In a bid to revive ancestral sea routes from 300 years ago, the 'Lanyu–Batanes 300-Year Maiden Voyage' project officially launched yesterday, using a 20-person paddle-powered plank canoe. According to Yuanwen Hui, after roughly one day at sea, the plank canoe 'Ovayan Golden Friendship No.' arrived in Batanes Island, Philippines, this afternoon.

The 20-person plank canoe 'Ovayan Golden Friendship No.,' jointly built by Taiwan's Council of Indigenous Peoples, the Foundation of Indigenous Peoples Cultural Affairs, and the six Tao tribes of Lanyu Island, was completed in March, underwent a trial run on April 28, and held a traditional ceremonial launch on June 9. It departed from Lanyu's Longmen Harbor yesterday, rowing toward Batanes.

Yuanwen Hui announced today on Facebook that 'Ovayan Golden Friendship No.' arrived at Batanes Island this afternoon after approximately one day of sailing.

'Ovayan' means 'golden male chest ornament' in the Tao language, symbolizing the important cultural memory formed through maritime trade between Lanyu and the Batanes Islands in the past.

Yuanwen Hui stated that the 'Lanyu–Batanes 300-Year Maiden Voyage' project took three years of preparation. The 'Ovayan Golden Friendship No.' is one of the largest traditional Tao plank canoes built in modern times, measuring approximately 12 meters in length and capable of carrying 20 people.

For this journey, 60 crew members were arranged to row manually in rotating shifts, crossing over 100 nautical miles of the Bashi Strait and the Kuroshio Current to reach Batanes Island, strengthening the ancestral ties between the two regions. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150616

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