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| Tahitian dancers, Polynesian Cultural Center. |
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THE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER |
Imagine launching yourself into the ultimate Polynesian adventure, visiting Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand and the Marquesas. Envision yourself discovering their peoples, cultures, customs and histories. Sample their foods. Learn their languages. Enjoy their hospitality.
Now imagine yourself doing it all in a single day!
Millions of people have done just that by visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), a 42-acre attraction located in Laie on Oahu’s rugged North Shore. Opened to the public in October 1963, the PCC offers a wide range of unique visitor experiences—everything from a top-notch luau to a spectacular evening show with more than 100 performers.
Guests are able to explore seven recreated Polynesian villages and gain a hands-on appreciation for the intriguing cultures of Polynesia. Learn how Samoans crack open a coconut or climb a 40-foot coconut tree. Make joyous Fijian music with a derua, a bamboo percussion instrument. Tour a Tahitian garden and learn a native dance. Play a Maori stick game or get a temporary tattoo. Or try your hand at weaving leaves and flowers into beautiful Hawaiian leis.
Other highlights at the PCC include the Alii Luau, the "Rainbows of Paradise" canoe show, an IMAX Theater presentation and the highly acclaimed revue, Horizons: Where the Sea Meets the Sky. Each spring, the PCC hosts the World Fire-Knife Dance Championships, featuring the world’s top Samoan fire knife dancers vying for the prestigious "world champion" title.
The PCC, staffed primarily by students at neighboring Brigham Young University-Hawaii, has lived up to its goal of serving as "a unique treasure created to share with the world the cultures, diversity and spirit of the nations of Polynesia."
The PCC is open Monday-Saturday (closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving and Christmas). The box office opens at 9 a.m., and the gift shops, snack bar and luncheon buffet opens at 11 a.m. Island tours and cultural presentations begin at 12:30 p.m., with other island activities spread throughout the afternoon. The PCC is located at 55-370 Kamehameha Highway, nearly 40 miles from Waikiki. Transportation to and from the PCC is available. ©2003-2004 Media-HI, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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