TAIPEI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A special exhibition opened in Taipei Wednesday to illustrate the hand tattoo tradition of Taiwan's Paiwan ethnic group, which needs urgent preservation today.

The exhibition, open until Feb. 17 next year at the Shung Ye Museum, focuses on the tattoo patterns on the hands of 11 senior women from the Paiwan ethnic group in southern Taiwan. Only three of them are still alive.

Traditionally Paiwan women have tattoos on their hands and men have them on the body such as on the shoulder and the back.

"Hand tattoos are not only for decoration. More importantly, they tell which family a person belongs to and one's social status," said Idis Sadjiljapan, the exhibition's curator, at the opening ceremony. She is a member of the Paiwan ethnic group.

For instance, a tribe chief will have a special pattern on his or her thumb and, if there is a pattern of a hook on one's hands, it means the person belongs to a family having its own hunting ground.

"From the tattoo patterns, people can tell how families relate to one another, how they migrate and marry between each other," Sadjiljapan said. "It is more like a family tree drawn on the hands."

Since the Paiwan group does not have a written language, the tattoo patterns allow people to have a glimpse of their traditional society and to understand the customs and ethics, she said.

However, the tattoo tradition has been gradually lost. To date, only 17 women with hand tattoos are alive across the island.

"It is very important for us to record the patterns and traditional knowledge when the elderly are still able to share them with us," Sadjiljapan said.

The exhibition offers a good opportunity to pass on traditions and introduce the Paiwan culture to others, she added.