Believe it or not, the original settlers of Taiwan were not Chinese. After you have been here for some time you may hear the expression "mountain people." You might ask, "Who are the mountain people, and why do they have that name?" That will likely be your first introduction to the people who settled Taiwan over 6,000 years ago--the aborigines of Taiwan.
History shows that the same race of people--Austronesians--who settled the islands of the Pacific Ocean including Indonesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, also settled Taiwan. Originally there were many tribes occupying the plains and mountains. As the Chinese came, the plains people either assimilated with the Han Chinese or were driven to the mountains.
Now, nine major Austronesian tribes remain here: the Atayal, Saisiat, Bunun, Tsou, Paiwan, Rukai, Puyuma, Ami, and Yami. Each tribe has its distinctive dress and customs. Their languages are related, yet different. This fact has even led some to speculate that Taiwan may have been the central homeland from which these cultures spread out to the other islands.
Today, the aborigines make up less than two per cent of the population of Taiwan and they face the issue that many indigenous peoples face today when in a minority status: How do they preserve their culture and heritage in the fast-paced world of the twentieth century?
First there is the matter of their name. Are they the original inhabitants? During the constitutional amendment process in the Second National Assembly session of 1992, this issue came up. The aborigines wished to be classified as yuan chu min (original inhabitants), rather than the customary shan pao (mountain compatriots, or more colloquially, mountain people). The feeling from the view of the tribal people was that the term "original inhabitants" is less discriminatory.
An Earlier Extinction
Unfortunately, they were overruled by anthropological data. Excavations reveal a civilization living here 15,000 years ago and while there seems to be no survivors of that civilization on the island and their relationship to succeeding peoples is unclear, this is the group, it was determined, that should technically bear the name "original inhabitants."
Second, in preserving their identity, how do the mountain people make themselves known to others? In this regard they have been more successful. You can get a brief introduction to this culture at the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines in northern Taipei. But to see the people and their traditional habitat, three places stand out.
Adventures in Anthropology
In the north, there is Wulai village, about an hour southeast of Taipei. The Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is in Nantou County in central Taiwan near Sun Moon Lake. And, in the south, the Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Park is at Peiyeh in Pingtung county.
Each place has its advantages, depending on what you want to see. If you are anthropologically inclined, Wulai is the best example of a culture in transition. Set in beautiful mountain terrain, there are vestiges of the old in the decorations and statues scattered throughout, and in the regular dance performances. But the village is definitely twentieth century Taiwan with all the commercialism that entails. You can also go to nearby Doll Valley to get a better view of the housing and life-styles of present-day aborigines.
The Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Park near Santimen in the south has houses designed to look like the aboriginal homes of old along with traditional song and dance performances. But if you want to have the full idyllic experience of what the primitive culture may once have looked like, replete with village costumes and housing, the best place to go is the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village near Sun Moon Lake.
In addition to a museum, auditorium, and dance area, a winding road takes you to nine separate villages representing the nine major aboriginal tribes of Taiwan. This is the best place to compare the habitats and costumes of each of the tribes as well as to listen to their songs and see their dance.
The village grounds also contain a beautiful set of European gardens and other attractions which seem out of place in the aboriginal setting. Sun Moon Lake with its distinctive beauty also offers many places to see.
There is a fourth place to visit but it means leaving the island of Taiwan. That place is Lanyu, or Orchid Island; it is the most primitive aboriginal area (though commercialism seems to go hand in hand with tourism) and is the home of the Yami tribe. Orchid Island lies out in the Pacific, southeast of Taiwan, and can be reached easily by boat or plane. Here, as nowhere else in Taiwan, the people live closest to the life-style of their ancestors.
Fishermen by trade and well used to the harshness of the wind and the sea, the people here have a tanned, weathered look. Men in loincloths are a common sight and richly decorated fishing boats are a trademark of the people.
When To Visit
Festival time is the best time to experience the aboriginal culture, for then the pageantry and song and dance are at their richest. The Ami hold a harvest festival in Hualien and Taitung counties in July and August, while the Yami tribe have their Flying Fish festival on Orchid Island during the second or third lunar month of the year. Flying fish are still a vital part of the Yami diet, so strict rituals and taboos are involved with their catching.
How well the aborigines will adapt to the changing times and fast pace of the twentieth century is yet to be seen. But one thing is certain: A greater and greater awareness of their culture, their traditions, and their people is being felt on Taiwan.