Case study 4: TaI O Village is a scenic, stilted fishing village which is an excellent example of an organically evolved and associative cultural landscape. In addition to fishing, Tai O was renowned for its salt pans and production of shrimp paste. The physical fabric of the village is largely intact despite many threats and pressures for change over many generations.
Despite recent attempts by government authorities to ‘revitalise’ the village for tourism, resettle the villagers from the stilt houses, as well as natural disasters, such as, typhoons, flooding, and devastating fires, the villagers have a very strong bond that allows them to rebound after each setback with a passion for conserving their way of life.
Tai O offers a valuable contrast to the fortunes of Ping Shan and underlines the importance of adopting an integrated approach to conservation that ensures that the policy, planning, and project levels of intervention put the interests and aspirations of residents first.
The Value of Anthropology in Child Health Policy
