The South Link Highway runs south of Taitung City along Taiwan’s east coast, ending in Pingtung County at Taiwan’s southern tip. It offers gorgeous views of mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Along this highway, the Paiwan tribe is working to preserve its culture and to share it with visitors from near and far.  

For example, at the Millet School in the Liqiu (Rulakes) Community in Taitung’s Jinfeng Township, there is an exhibition on millet, the traditional staple grain of many of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes. A local guide explains various aspects of Paiwan culture, such as how warriors once warned community residents of an impending invasion, while showing replicas of traditional structures, such as a belltower and a hunter’s hut.

A guide explains traditional methods for scaring away birds from the millet fields. 

In Dawu, Taitung’s southernmost township, is the Nanxing (Lujiakas) Community and Ni Camak’s Kitchen where you can enjoy beautifully presented and delicious dishes of indigenous and Western fusion cuisine. While there, learn Paiwan language songs from Umi, a retired elementary schoolteacher, who continues to devote herself to passing on Paiwan language and traditions. The chef’s wife, J.J., is an enthusiastic host and guide. At the nearby Catholic church, she tells the story of Jakob Hilber, a priest who brought vocational education to Taitung. Along a walking tour, she also takes visitors to the former elementary school, which has been turned into an education center for the elderly, and a local grocery store, interacting with residents along the way.

Umi teaches a group how to sing songs in the Paiwan language.  

A bit north of Naxing is Daren Township, where a visit to the Tuban (Tjuwabal) Community is a must. This is where what you have learned about the Paiwan culture at the first two destinations will come in handy. The Southlink Health and Care Association provides tours of this culturally rich community, which is known for being the only Paiwan community in Taiwan to organize the complete Five-Year Festival (Maljeveq). As its name suggests, this set of ceremonies and rites is held only once every five years, during which the ancestral spirits are invited to spend time and create closer bonds with their descendants. This event takes place over five days, usually in October, and most who come to observe it do so on the last day. They watch as males of the community, including the chieftains’ representatives and warriors, vie to catch rattan balls thrown high into the air on the tips of very long bamboo poles. Usually 10 balls are thrown, each having a different meaning or blessing, known only to the shaman at the time they are thrown.

Once all the balls have been caught, the bamboo rods are broken in half, with the top halves used later by the males of the community, as they go from house to house performing a less formal version of the catching of rattan balls, as a way of passing on blessings. Before that, ceremonies are held at each of the chieftain’s homes to formally send off the ancestral spirits until the next Maljeveq.

Throwing of rattan balls to be caught on the end of a long bamboo pole during the Paiwan Five-Year Festival (Maljeveq). 

 As these ceremonies take place only once every five years, it may be difficult to see them in person. However, the Tuban Community tour does include a visit to a sculpture that depicts the catching of rattan balls and the ceremonial grounds. There is also the home of the late Sapari, a master woodcarver, where you can see his works, as well as those of his son. Some of Sapari’s works are also on display inside the Catholic Church. A visit to one of the chieftains’ homes may be included, in addition to a look inside a clan hut used for ancestral worship rites.

Some of master woodcarver Sapari's works.  

To pass on language and culture, it is necessary for young people to return to their communities. To do so, they need to have good employment opportunities. In the Duoliang (Calavi) Community in Taitung’s Taimali Township, the Sunrise Driftwood Workshop is providing training to and work for community residents. Here, you can buy works produced on-site from driftwood or make your own leaf-shaped serving tray. If you would like to create something original and more complicated, it is possible to arrange for a longer stay. In good weather, this is a great place to enjoy tea made from local ingredients, such as shellflower or roselle calyx, or a meal of pizza, grilled pork, or dumplings, while watching the ocean waves below. Tours of the Calavi Community can also be arranged.

Putting the finishing touches on a serving tray. 

These destinations have all participated in the Cross-Generational Bilingual Training Program in Taitung. This four-year program ran from the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2023. An initiative of the Taitung County Government, the purpose was to guide such destinations in developing itineraries of interest to international travelers and empowering them to share their culture and introduce what makes them unique in English. There are also many other destinations that have received training through this program and are waiting for you to explore. So, make sure that you visit Taitung County – Taiwan’s natural and cultural gem.