Bunun tradition combines with natural beauty in Taoyuan Village

riving in Taoyuan Village, located in Yanping Township of Taitung County, pride in the rich history and culture of the indigenous Bunun tribe can quickly be seen and felt. All around this community are explanatory panels with descriptions of various aspects of Bunun culture. Outside a guesthouse is a wood carving of a traditional Bunun calendar, decorated with traditional symbols for various annual hunting and millet cultivation activities.

 

Jianu, "the wild boar king", although recovering from knee surgery due to injuries sustained in the hunt for a wild boar many years ago, warmly welcomes us to his home and describes with fondness the training of his hunting dogs. His stories of his adventures tracking 1,000 wild boar are riveting. But, it is his explanation of his reasons for becoming a hunter that is most touching. Wild boar are an important traditional game animal and source of protein for the tribe. But, wild boar can cause severe damage to crops. In the past, to protect their fields, several elders spent the night outside, and froze to death. Jianu could no longer idly sit by, deciding to help as many people as he can. He doesn't kill all of the wild boar he comes across. Sometimes just tracking them scares them away for a week, bringing much needed rest to local farmers. He also does not kill pregnant females or the young, to allow wild boar populations to be sustainable, in line with the tribe's traditional knowledge of environmental conservation.

 

Local guides, such as Sakuliou and Kim, are fluent in the local mountain ecology. They have worked to identify hiking trails suited to visitors of different levels of physical fitness. Sakuliou, a member of the Paiwan tribe, who has spent much of his life in Yanping Township, takes us up a narrow road that leads to an area of pristine forest. He explains that this forest possesses abundant wildlife and is a good place for bird watching. The trail at the moment is only dirt path, and quite slippery when it rains. Plans are underway to create a trail using local natural materials that will meet up with the more well known trail to Butterfly Valley. There were plenty of butterflies present, as late fall and early winter are when these insects migrate to warmer valleys. Along the way, he explains the traditional uses of plants. 

 

Kim leads us along a short, but steep, trail to a breathtaking gorge along the crystal clear Songfeng River, part of the land that belongs to one of his relatives. Before the hike, which requires the use of ropes, Kim carries out a simple ritual to communicate with the ancestral spirits and to let them know that we have arrived and allow us safe passage. This includes offerings of betel nut and rice wine.

 

 

The third trail has already been well prepared with wood and stone steps and is a loop that passes through a cluster of orange jessamine trees that are between 50 and 60 years old. From various points along this trail are vast views of the surrounding mountains and the river below.

 

Kim runs the Xing Yue Yuan Campground, which features raised wooden platforms for pitching tents and two small rooms created from water pipes. Here, a barbecue dinner is prepared and two local residents put on a performance. As they sing, their natural talent and love of music comes through. They talk almost as much as they sing, showing off their sense of humor, optimism and passion for life.

Taoyuan Village is strategically located in southeastern Taiwan's Taitung County. In this county, one third of the population is indigenous, compared with just two percent nationally, making it a great cultural tourism destination. In addition, it lies in the fertile East Rift Valley, nestled between the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range, which explains its abundant pristine mountain forest and river scenes. In some indigenous communities, decisions about tourism are made with a short-term view. These communities are attracted by the promises of economic return, which often go unfulfilled. As a sacrifice, they make changes, such as presenting culturally questionable performances or allowing their natural environment to be threatened. The core of indigenous area tourism is natural and cultural resources. If these are compromised, sustainable tourism and income from tourism will no longer be feasible. The focus should be on the long-term, as it is in Taoyuan Village. The residents here are determined to build tourism slowly and remain uncompromising in their vision. The most encouraging aspect is their refusal to take a commercial path. Instead, they enthusiastically develop tour itineraries for small groups with a love of nature and a respect for culture, looking for an in-depth travel experience that is in harmony with community objectives.

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