The Polynesian Cultural Center is fantastic! During the BYU-Hawaii Asia Pacific Career Conference we became very familiar with the PCC. We had a behind-the-scenes experience learning about how the center operates and provides real-world experience for students at BYU-H, and we had a tour of the villages in the center.
The Island Villages
The Polynesian Cultural Center is a cultural experience destination showcasing the cultures of the Pacific Islands including Hawaii, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, and Tahiti. The villages highlight different aspects of their cultures both tangible and intangible. Each of the areas has performances throughout the day, be sure to visit Samoa during their presentation because they’re pretty funny.
At one time during the day, there is a canoe performance on the waterways of the PCC showcasing all of the cultures with dancers on the canoes.
Ha! Breath of Life
In the Hukilau Marketplace, the Pacific Theater hosts a magnificent show called “Ha! Breath of Life.” With around 100 performers, the show beautifully highlights each of the island cultures found in the villages. It doesn’t just have dancers come up and perform for each place. Instead, the show follows the story of a man from his birth to death as he learns what is truly important in life. This story is told with the support of dancing, singing, fun, fire, and special effects. (no photography allowed)
Outside the Villages
Before reaching the island villages entrance, guests walk through the Hukilau Marketplace. Many great shops and good eats can be found here. Also, any football fans would be happy to find the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. For fans of the ukulele, there’s a shop by the villages entrance all about this little instrument. The shop includes displays on the history of the instrument, how it is made, and how it has been made popular.
A few pieces of art can also be found. In front of the ukulele shop, there’s a bronze sculpture of the man who invented the steel-string guitar and made it popular in country music. A more prominent statue welcomes guests with the haka sign, which originated in Laie by the subject cast in bronze.
Luau
We were also treated to a luau at the PCC as part of the conference. There are several facilities around the center for this very purpose. The pavilion we were in could have seating around 500 people. It was a buffet with delicious Hawaiian food including roast pig. They cooked it the traditional way in a fire pit in the ground using heated lava rocks. We watched it get uncovered before we could enjoy it. During the dinner, several performers shared more of the lovely Polynesian culture with us. This was a very enjoyable evening.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is the number one paid attraction in Hawaii and has been ranked as such for years. It is worth the excursion to Laie just for this fabulous place. Not only would you have a great experience, you would also be supporting the students of BYU-Hawaii that make up a significant percentage of staff at the PCC.
