A Japanese couple tied the knot in a traditional aboriginal wedding ceremony in southern Taiwan on Saturday, the first foreign couple to do so since this particular ceremony began 14 years ago.

Toshiaki Yoshida, 36, and Natsumi Ueno, 35, were the Japanese couple who wed through the ceremony.

Chien Ching-fa, director of the Maolin National Scenic Area Administration, said of the outdoor ceremony in an aboriginal village in Sandimen Township, Pingtung County, that his agency has been co-organizing the annual event since 2005 to preserve aboriginal culture and promote tourism to the area.

Ten couples -- six aboriginal couples, three Taiwan ethnic Chinese couples and the Japanese couple -- all dressed in traditional costume were wed through the ceremony, developed for noble people of the Paiwan tribe.

The ceremony began with an inspection of the groom's dowry, followed by the bride being carried in a palanquin to the ceremony venue where the wedding couple danced and drank aboriginal wines.

The climax of the ceremony was the bride riding a giant swing, then being carried in a circle around the square by the groom to show off his physical strength.

The couple then exchanged vows and drank locally produced wine before the ceremony ended with a group dancing around the giant swing.

Ueno, a native of Saitama Prefecture, said she learned of the wedding ceremony from a friend and persuaded Yoshida to have their wedding in Taiwan.

Ueno's parents, who attended the ceremony, said because their second daughter got married in Hawaii, they were not surprised when their third daughter told them that she intended to have her wedding outside Japan.

And Yoshida, a native of Gunma Prefecture, said as many of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes are matriarchal societies, he had no problem with his wife having the final say on everything.

Ueno said the wedding ceremony was so beautiful that she will cherish it forever. But Yoshida said as Saturday's ceremony was long and the weather was sunny and warm, he would like to revisit the area but has no interest in getting married again.

However, both Yoshida and Ueno said they will definitely recommend their friends have an aboriginal wedding in Taiwan.

"Pingtung has good food, unique handicrafts and beautiful scenery," Chien said. "We hope to bring more visitors and young people here to revitalize the area."