The Polynesian Cultural Center: a true spirit of Aloha.

When the Polynesian Cultural Center, located on Oahu's scenic North Shore, began its mission to share the Polynesian culture with the world in 1963, it wasn't uncommon to see more performers on stage than paying customers in the audience. Skeptics doubted its success, as visitors would have to make the hour-long trip from the tourist center of Waikiki through pineapple fields and small communities to the remote tip of this tiny Pacific island.

Forty years later, the Polynesian Cultural Center's mission remains the same; however, skeptics' ideas about the center's success have greatly altered.

"The PCC hosts nearly 1 million visitors a year, giving a 40-year total of 30 million guests welcomed through our entrance," says Von Orgill, president of the center. "And within the same time span, it has directly aided in the education of more than 13,000 Polynesian students--a unique aspect in today's world of entertainment."

The PCC has been named "Hawai'i's favorite visitor attraction" by People's Choice Awards and, since 1977, has been Hawai'i's number one paid attraction. The images, history, and hospitality of seven Pacific cultures--Fiji, Hawai'i, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, the Marquesas, and Maori, New Zealand--come alive within the 42 acres of authentic village life.

"Islanders reenact war dances and wedding ceremonies; wield fire knives; make clothing from bark, fire from coconuts, and jewelry from leaves; climb four-story trees in bare feet; and present intriguing details of tribal tattooing, ancient transoceanic navigation, and the preservation of history without a written language," Orgill says.

Highlights of the center are the new Ali'i Luau; Rainbows of Paradise canoe pageant; and Horizons, Where the Sea Meets the Sky evening show.

ALI'I LUAU

The royal Ali'i Luau, Oahu's most authentic, was a major part of the PCC's 40th anniversary, $5 million improvement project. The luau features traditional Hawai'ian foods, complemented by cultural demonstrations and entertainment. Guests feast on mouthwatering pork cooked in the traditional fire pit known as an imu, while native performers reenact the royal ceremony of the first luau.

RAINBOWS OF PARADISE CANOE PAGEANT

Each afternoon, visitors line the man-made freshwater lagoon meandering through PCC's tropical landscape to watch performers in full island regalia share the ancient legends of Polynesia through chants, music, and dance atop twin-hulled canoes.

HORIZONS EVENING SHOW

Horizons, the largest, most elaborate island show on Oahu, features a cast of more than 100 islanders performing exciting native song and dance, complete with fire, waterfalls, and a volcanic eruption.

Along with the new Ali'i Luau, additional 40th anniversary improvement projects include the Easter Island exhibit and complete front entrance renovation.

EASTER ISLAND (RAPA NUI)

The PCC's new Rapa Nui Village, displaying Easter Island's 1,000-year-old statues called moai, rounds out the Southeast corner of the Polynesian Triangle. The center worked with Easter Island carvers to make seven moai ranging from 6 to 20 feet in height, with the largest moai kept as a work-in-progress for cultural display purposes.

FRONT ENTRANCE RENOVATION

What was once just a ticket booth is now a sprawling museum filled with native artifacts and stories of the Polynesian Triangle Islands peoples' voyage to Hawai'i. The front entrance renovation features special exhibits from all eight islands represented at the PCC as well as displays from other Polynesian groups, such as the Cook Islands and Niue.

At the very foundation of the center, however, are the students. The PCC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of Polynesia, while providing scholarships for hundreds of Polynesian students attending the adjacent Brigham Young University Hawai'i. Of the more than 1,200 people working at PCC, 70 percent are students working as performers, guides, and staff. Aside from being paid, students also receive tuition, books, and room and board.

"The PCC exists for the many students who would not otherwise be able to receive an education," says Orgill. "After completing their education, many take what they have learned back with them to their respective islands and use it for the good of their people."

PCC visitors regularly comment that they experience more of what they expected Hawai'i or Polynesia to be than at Waikiki or any other place on the islands. The authentic experience felt by the guests is the Spirit of Aloha, a spirit that has existed since the Polynesian Cultural Center first opened 40 years ago.

CONTACT

Phone: [phone], ext. 229

Web site: www.polynesia.com