The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a family-centered cultural

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

and living museum located in Laie, on the northern shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The PCC is owned by

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

(LDS Church), was dedicated on October 12, 1963, and occupies of land belonging to nearby Brigham Young University–Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii). The PCC encompasses eight simulated tropical villages, in which performers demonstrate various arts and crafts from throughout

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

. Visitors may also take a free shuttle tour of the university and see the LDS Church's Laie Hawaii Temple and its associated visitors' center. Seventy percent of the PCC's approximately 1,300 employees are students at BYU-Hawaii. Since it has opened, the PCC has provided financial assistance to more than 12,000 BYU-Hawaii students. Students may work up to 20 hours per week during school terms and 40 hours during breaks. As a non-profit organization, PCC's revenue are used for daily operations and to support education.

History

In early 1962, LDS Church president David O. McKay authorized construction of the nonprofit center as a way to provide employment and scholarships for students at BYU-Hawaii and to preserve the cultures of Polynesia. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s hukilau and luau beach gatherings to earn money to rebuild a local chapel belonging to the LDS Church, which had been destroyed in a fire. " The Hukilau Song," made famous by

Alfred Apaka Alfred Aholo Apaka, Jr. (March 19, 1919 – January 30, 1960) was a Hawaiian singer whose romantic baritone voice was closely identified with Hawaii between the late 1940s and the early 1960s. Alfred Apaka was arguably the foremost interpreter o ...

, was written following the composer and song's original singer, Jack Owens, visit to Lāi.e.'s hukilau. In October 1980,

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...

Party first secretary Xi Zhongxun, father of current Chinese leader

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, ...

, visited the PCC during a tour of the United States. After the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

attendance suffered at the PCC. In 2004, the PCC doubled its advertising budget, "to promote local music, dance and food festivals". Polynesian Cultural Center entrance

The PCC is one of the most frequently visited tourist destinations in Hawaii, attracting 700,000 visitors annually.Levine, Arthur
"Polynesian Cultural Center: Explore the history of Hawaii and five more islands"
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...

'', 12 April 2018. Retrieved on 14 March 2020. The PCC is the venue for the annual World Fire Knife Dance Competition, in which contestants display their skill with blazing swords. Since it opened its doors in 1963, over 32 million people have visited the center. Howard W. Hunter is credited with transforming the newly organized PCC from an unprofitable and unknown entity into one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hawaii.

Activities

Hā–Breath of Life

In addition to the daytime exhibits and demonstrations, PCC features an evening show for an additional charge. As of 2009 the show is a multicultural Polynesian show titled ''Hā–Breath of Life'' which

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

described as "a vivid, energetic production that highlights song and dance from the indigenous cultures of the South Pacific". The show features songs and dances from throughout Polynesia, including the

hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song ( mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visua ...

, tamure, otea,

titi torea The titis, or titi monkeys, are New World monkeys of the subfamily Callicebinae, which contains three extant genera: ''Cheracebus'', ''Callicebus'', and ''Plecturocebus.'' This subfamily also contains the extinct genera ''Miocallicebus, Homuncul ...

, haka, poi, meke,

tauʻolunga The tauolunga is a traditional Tongan dance. It is a combination of the Samoan Taualuga and the Tongan ula. The type of dance is comparable with (some) Hawaiian hula or the Tahitian aparima. Performance The tau'olunga is a dance for single you ...

, and Taualuga. Past shows include "This is Polynesia", "Mana: The Spirit of Our People.", and ''Horizons: Where the Sea Meets the Sky''. The show reportedly has a cast of 100 performers and they perform six-evenings-a-week."Behind the Scenes at Polynesian Cultural Center"
'' Hawaii Business'', 10 March 2012. Retrieved on 11 March 2020.

Huki: A Canoe Celebration

The Lagoon hosts a parade of canoes that showcases the signature dances of each of Polynesian culture. The current show, "Huki: A Canoe Celebration", which premiered in August 2018, was preceded by "Rainbows of Paradise", "This is Polynesia" and "Ancient Legends of Polynesia".

Villages

Each of the major Polynesian cultures has its own section, centered on a traditional

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

. Hourly performances and cultural learning experiences take place in these villages. Villages include: *

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

* Aotearoa (present-day

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

) * Fiji *

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Aust ...

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

*the Marquesas Islands In addition to the villages, the PCC has a special exhibit dedicated to Rapa Nui ( Easter Island or Isla de Pascua) and a tribute to the 1850s LDS mission. Visitors may participate in a luau, such as the Alii Luau ("Royal Feast"), which offers traditional Polynesian fare, including

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

cooked in an

imu IMU may refer to: Science and technology * Inertial measurement unit, a device that measures acceleration and rotation, used for example to maneuver modern vehicles including motorcycles, missiles, air- and spacecraft Businesses and organizations ...

(an underground oven). They can observe the roasted pig in the imu prior to the meal. The PCC has its own Special effect theater as well as a

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons' ...

where visitors can take

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

rides accompanied by a guide or paddle by themselves.

Special events

PCC hosts many special events, highlighting Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian and Māori cultures along with a Christmas festival. The PCC used to host a Haunted Lagoon but discontinued this festival in 2013 due to it not being profitable. Other festivals include Moanikeala Hula festival and World Fireknife Championships and Micronesia Betelnut festival.

Gallery

Polynesian Cultural Center - Canoe Pageant (8328375917).jpg, The Tahiti Village show Polynesian Cultural Center Rower.jpg, Rower in a traditional canoe at the Polynesian Cultural Center Polynesian Cultural Center performers (51872677248).jpg, 2022 photograph

References

External links

*
The Official Polynesian Cultural Center Website

PCC 50 Year Anniversary website
(official) {{Authority control Museums established in 1963 1963 establishments in Hawaii Brigham Young University–Hawaii Hawaii culture Organizational subdivisions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Properties of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oceania Living museums in Hawaii Ethnic museums in Hawaii Museums in Honolulu County, Hawaii Mormonism and Pacific Islanders Polynesian-American culture in Hawaii