L.A. Times Travel Show: Taiwan knows how to draw a crowd

There’s something about Taiwan ... at least at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show. Every year experts on travel to the island nation put on quite a show and attract quite a crowd. The display space includes what every attendee might expect: handouts on trips that focus completely on Taiwan and literature on trips to Southeast Asia and China with a stopover in Taiwan. There are maps of Taipei that display markets and restaurants and hotels.

But the biggest attraction each year is the live entertainment and this year did not disappoint. Periodically, three costumed and masked dancers cavorted on stage to the accompaniment of live music, which inspired large crowds to gather around the noisy celebration. Were they performing native folk dances? We’re not sure. The Taiwanese government web site says that “Taiwan’s myriad dance forms are intricately linked with the country’s ethnic composition and historical background, and each of the local dances draws their unique colors from the island’s rich culture heritage.” If that rich culture heritage includes having a lot of goofy fun, then these performers were the real deal.