TAIPEI: A well-known aboriginal troupe closely associated with Alishan Mountain found itself displaced and seeking a new performance venue after Typhoon Morakot destroyed roads in the scenic area.

The Tsou Tribe Shunli Troupe performed its traditional dances and songs for a group of mainland tourists in Wufeng Park, Chiayi county yesterday, in its first public appearance since its forced relocation.

The group moved from Alishan earlier this month after the highway that leads to the mountain was damaged during the typhoon.

Most of the group members escaped down the mountain on foot after the highway became deluged by floodwaters and some sections were cut by landslides. Some members stayed on the mountain to repair their ravaged homes, said Yang Chia-yu, a dancer whose home in Laichi village was also destroyed by the storm.

"We're down and out, feeling listless and depressed as our homes and performance venue have all gone," Yang said.

"However, we are strong enough to hang in there and wait for the highway to reopen to traffic," she stressed.

The National Alishan Scenic Area - one of the attractions in Taiwan that mainland tourists consider as a "must see" - has been cut off from the rest of the island since the typhoon slammed into Taiwan. Sections of the Alishan Highway have been destroyed and the Alishan Forest Railway permanently damaged.

Miss Wan, from Changsha, Hunan province, is one of the tourists who was unable to visit Alishan because of the roads.

She said it was a great pity she couldn't tour Alishan but watching the performance by the Shunli Troupe had been satisfying. "I can feel the beauty of Alishan through their singing and dancing," she said. "I'll come back again if I have a chance."

Many mainland tour groups have postponed or cancelled trips because of the typhoon damage, said local travel operators.

According to the Chiayi county government, the highway might be rebuilt and reopened to traffic by late September, but there is no timetable for the repair of the railway.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 08/25/2009 page2)