It was October, and at Taipei National University of the Arts (NTUA) in the hills around Kuantu, autumn was in the air. It was in this setting that the 2003 Asia-Pacific Arts Forum, built around the concept of the Maritime Silk Road, took place. This event, which revolved around the four axes of scholarly discourse, weaving and dyeing workshops, stringed musical instruments, and performance art, displayed the rich and diverse cultures of the Asia-Pacific region.

The 2003 Asia-Pacific Arts Forum marked another step in cooperation between the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) and NTUA, following on the 2000 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Forum. The Arts Forum, specially coordinated with the CCA's 2003 "Creative Culture Industry Year," devoted special attention to culture not only as an end in itself but also as an economic activity. It aimed to encourage discussion about the common problems facing the development of indigenous cultures and cultural industries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Upon entering the Workshop Demonstration Center at TNUA, visitors-most of whom have never before seen weaving-surround a group of Kavalan Aboriginal women from Eastern Taiwan as they demonstrate their tribe's traditional technique for weaving with banana threads. Completed items of banana-thread attire on display at the site show that the cloth is a pale yellow color, and in the absence of any artificial coloring or processing, retains a natural and simple look.

The Kavalan elder Chieh Wan-lai, who has been suffering from kidney problems for many years, is also present, physically supported by members of his tribe. Now well over 70, Chieh Wan-lai has in recent years rarely left his ancestral home on the coast of Hualien. He explains to the visitors that because banana-thread clothing is rarely worn by anyone in the tribe these days, this traditional craft, like the language and culture of the Kavalan, is also on the brink of extinction.

In fact, weaving is a highly developed skill in Asian-Pacific countries, and many ethnic groups in the region have highly distinctive textile arts, of which banana-thread weaving is but one. Besides the Kavalan, other long-standing practitioners of banana-thread weaving include minority people in Thailand and natives of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Also invited to the forum were experts in laheria dyeing from India, in the arts of batik and ikat from Indonesia, and in persimmon juice dyeing from Korea; all gave live demonstrations of their skills.

Meanwhile, at the international conference hall on the other side of the campus, scholars from many nations presented papers on related themes, including the transportation and trade network of the Maritime Silk Road, the origins and evolution of craft skills and performance art in the Asia-Pacific region, and the connections between Taiwan and the ancient lands of the seaborne trade network. The development of existing culture and the disappearance of tradition in the Asia-Pacific under the pressure of Western culture and capitalism was a general focus of discussion and concern.

Minister without Portfolio Chen Chi-nan presented a paper on "Cultural Industries and Cultural Policy: The Taiwan Experience." He pointed out that the rise of local cultural industries in Taiwan in recent years can be seen as a form of resistance against globalization. He also stated that one of the goals in developing the creative culture industry is to encourage the development and revival of local cultural industries.

Thai scholar Surapone Virulrak noted that in recent years cultural development has been an up-and-coming field of interest in Asia. He pointed as an example to last month's Asia-Pacific Cultural Cooperation Forum, held in Hong Kong. He said that whereas in the past Asian countries made little effort to understand one another, now such forums are increasingly common. In a lighthearted, optimistic tone of voice, he declared: "Asian countries are finally opening up their hearts to one another."

Taiwan is part of the chain of islands stretching across Southeast Asia, and its historical and cultural development has been closely linked to regional shifts. Globalization on the one hand encourages cultural uniformity, but on the other it also is prodding many peoples to reconsider their identity and status. TNUA president Chiu Kuen-liang stated that in the face of globalization, Taiwan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific area face a common challenge-how to protect local traditions without isolating oneself from international trends.

"For a long time now, Taiwan has emphasized its ties to Japan and the US, and has neglected its relations with the rest of the Asia-Pacific region," said Chiu Kuen-liang, who was in charge of organizing the forum. He emphasized that the development of Taiwan's cultural economy cannot be kept apart from that of other countries in the region, and that the political, economic, and cultural transformations that Taiwan has been going through are much closer to those of other Asian and Pacific countries than either the US or Japan. He expressed hope that the 2003 Asia-Pacific Arts Forum would inspire scholars, artists, and businesspeople in Taiwan to devote more attention to Asia-Pacific issues, to bring back the glory days of the Maritime Silk Road here in the 21st century.