- Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a
living museum located in Lā'ie, on the northern part of Ookinaahu, Hawaiokinai. Dedicated inOctober 12 1963 , the PCC is located on 42 acres (170,000 m²) of land owned by nearbyBrigham Young University Hawaii , where most of the performers are enrolled as students. Although it is largely a commercial venture, profits from the PCC are applied to variousscholarship programs run by BYU-Hawaii.Many performers at the center are students attending BYU-Hawaii on scholarship from their native lands, working up to 20 hours per week during school terms and full time during breaks in order to graduate debt-free. The money which visitors pay for admission, as well as profits from food and gift sales, supports the scholarship programs which have educated thousands of students over the years. Visitors are invited to take bus tours of the university to "see where your money is going," and to see the
Laie Hawaii Temple visitor center.History
The center has its roots in the hukilau and luokinaau gatherings on the beach in the 1940s and 1950s to earn money to rebuild a local chapel belonging to
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), which had been destroyed in a fire. "The Hukilau Song ," made famous byAlfred Apaka , was written following the composer and song's original singer,Jack Owens, The Cruising Crooner 's visit to Lāokinaie's hukilau. [ [http://rogerowenspeanutman.com/blog/jack-owens-the-cruising-crooner/ Jack Owens - The Cruising Crooner] from RogerOwensPeanutman.com] The PCC and BYU-Hawaii are owned and operated by the LDS Church, as is theLaie Hawaii Temple , located northwest of the university.The PCC is considered to be one of the most widely visited tourist destinations in Hawaii. In recent years, it's become Hawaii's number one paid attraction. Visitors are able to observe cultural activities by the peoples who inhabit the islands of the Central and South
Pacific Ocean . The Polynesian Cultural Center is the venue for the annual WorldFire Knife Dance Competition, in which contestants display their skill with blazing swords.PCC staff will proudly flash the famous
shaka sign to visitors who offer it to them. This sign, made by extending thumb and little finger, was a unique greeting in Lāokinaie, a representation ofHamana Kalili , a local leader who had lost three fingers from his right hand in an industrial accident. While this sign is now known worldwide as a Hawaiian tradition, PCC considers itself the rightful heir of the tradition, as Kalili provided the nets used for that first public hukilau, which was direct ancestor to the Polynesian Cultural Center.Since opening its doors in 1963, over 32 million people have visited the center.
Activities
The PCC is best known for its
multicultural Polynesian show, "Horizons: Where the Sea Meets the Sky", which is the largest performance of its kind in the world. The park has its ownIMAX theater as well as alagoon where visitors can takecanoe rides from one end of the park to the other. The Lagoon is also home to the PCC's canoe pageant, "Rainbows of Paradise."Each of the major Polynesian countries has its own area of the park centered on a re-created traditional
village . Hourly performances and cultural learning experiences take place in these villages, and visitors are allowed free rein throughout the park. Each of the following has its own village:
*Hawaii
*Samoa
*Aotearoa (present-dayNew Zealand )
*Fiji
*Tahiti
*Tonga
*Marquesas In addition to the villages, the PCC has a special exhibit dedicated toRapa Nui (Easter Island or Isla de Pascua) and a tribute to the 1850s mission once run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Visitors may participate in a luokinaau or Luau, [ [http://www.polynesia.com/dining/aliiluau.html "Experience The Ali'i Luau"] from the Polynesian Cultural Center website] such as the Aliokinai Luokinaau ("Royal Feast"), which offers traditional Polynesian fare, including pork cooked in an
imu (an undergroundoven ). They are also invited to observe the cookedpig being removed from the imu prior to the meal. Due to the abundance of activities at the PCC, the "Free within Three" program grants visitors readmission for three days after their initial visit, as it is impossible to fully enjoy all of the park in a single visit.Guided tours are also given to people who purchase the Ambassador package. Most of the tour guides are students who are able to speak two languages to assist guests coming from different parts of the world.
pecial Events
The Polynesian Cultural Center hosts several special events every year including four that highlight different Polynesian cultures: Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian and Māori. In 2007, it also introduced a Christmas festival, "Christmas in Polynesia.
Moanikeala Hula Festival
The Moanikeala Hula Festival is a hula festival.
World Fireknife Championships and Samoa Festival
The World Fireknife Championships draws
fireknife dancers from across the nation and the world.Te Mahana Hirookinaa O Tahiti
Te Mahana Hirookinaa O Tahiti is a Tahitian dance festival held every year and timed with the
heiva in Tahiti.Te Manahua Māori Cultural Competition
This event focuses on the
Māori ofAotearoa (New Zealand). The competition alternates yearly with youth and adult competitors.References
External links
* [http://www.polynesia.com Polynesian Cultural Center]
* [http://www.polynesianculturalcenter.com Polynesian Cultural Center Info, Photos and Map]
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