Lan Yu is a small volcanic island off the south-eastern coast of Taiwan. It is home to the Tau, one of Taiwan’s recognized ethnic minorities, who live by fishing and farming. Due to their direct connection to the sea and fishing, the „dadala“ (fishing boat) holds special significance for the islanders. The Tau people have preserved much of their cultural heritage.
This coin also has its flipside: In 1974, the Atomic Energy Commission of the Republic of China selected an area at the southern tip of the island as a „temporary“ storage site for radioactive waste. Currently, over 4,800 tons of nuclear waste are stored in 23 concrete pits without authorization.
Even though I was part of the Tau community for a small period of time, I wonder how it´s even possible for the indigenous people to live next to a repository. „Dao“ describes, in a Western philosophical context, an eternal principle of action or creation, responsible for the origin of unity and duality.