By Ann Wang and Cheng-Chia Huang
ORCHID ISLAND, Taiwan, June 16 (Reuters) - A group of indigenous Taiwanese left on Monday to paddle to the Philippines on a hand-built wooden canoe across the Bashi Channel, reviving a maritime route dormant for hundreds of years and re-establishing a lost cultural connection.
The Tao people of Taiwan's Orchid Island, sitting in the Pacific Ocean some 50 nautical miles off the southeastern county of Taitung, are closely related to the indigenous people of the Batanes Islands to the north of Luzon, the main island of the Philippines.
The 20-seat canoe, named Ovayan or "Golden Friendship," was crafted by builders from six communities on Orchid Island as part of a government-backed project, and the trip will take around 24 hours with 60 people taking turns to row, rotating in and out of support ships.
Maraos, chairperson of Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation and himself an Orchid Island Tao, said the goal was to re-connect the long-forgotten sea route.
"So with this project, we are re-establishing the sea route between Orchid Island and Batanes, allowing our cultures and languages to continue being passed on," said Maraos, who only uses one name.
Hsieh Hsiu-hsiung, one of the rowers, said the boat was being accompanied by other vessels for safety reasons.
"Nowadays we have modern vessels accompanying us and sailing together with us, so we are not afraid," said Hsieh, 61, who is a diving instructor. "In the past, we don't know what methods our ancestors used; perhaps looking at the stars and the moon, to navigate while sailing."
The Tao are one of the smaller indigenous groups in Taiwan, with a population of only around 5,000. Less than 3% of Taiwan's 23 million people are from indigenous groups.
Orchid Island is a popular tourist destination but poor weather and its remoteness often cuts it off from Taiwan.
The Bashi Channel is a highly strategic waterway connecting the South China Sea to the Pacific, and Chinese warships frequently patrol the area.
"We hope that this voyage can be respected by all countries," Maraos said. "Most importantly, we do not want to be harassed by warships from other countries or vessels from other countries while we are at sea."
(Reporting by Ann Wang and Cheng-Chia Huang; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
