Sandimen
三地門
&
Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Park
TACP
Sandimen Township is home to the Taiwanese Aboriginal Culture Park (the southern version of the popular park at Sun and Moon Lake). This park has more of an authentic feel, though it doesn't seem as well run as its northern cousin. The park is hard to get to without your own transport (several train and bus transfers) and it is not a good idea to go during the summer rains like I did. Though it was a good experience overall and a great addition to the Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village (FACV) I had recently visited.
The TACP is located in the mountains near Sandimen and is like a living museum of Aboriginal culture. There are many houses on display that have been saved from destruction and relocated to the park. The park is hard to get to on public transport. One needs to take a train to Pingtung County first and then take a County bus up to Sandimen. Pingtung is relatively easy to get to from Kaohsiung (though it didn't help that I got on the wrong train and ended up going 1 hour in the wrong direction before I could get off and go back). From Pingtung, I took a County bus to Sandimen, which took another 60 minutes. Many guide books mentioned that there was a bus that went direct to the TACP from Pingtung, but I couldn't find it and the staff at the TACP had no idea about it. So I got dropped off in some small isolated village and had to hike up the mountain in the middle of the monsoon rains to find it.
After 3 hours of mucking around, I only had 2 hours left before the park closed. I found it was enough, but I would have liked longer to watch the performances and eat in the restaurants.
The TACP is located in the mountains near Sandimen and is like a living museum of Aboriginal culture. There are many houses on display that have been saved from destruction and relocated to the park. The park is hard to get to on public transport. One needs to take a train to Pingtung County first and then take a County bus up to Sandimen. Pingtung is relatively easy to get to from Kaohsiung (though it didn't help that I got on the wrong train and ended up going 1 hour in the wrong direction before I could get off and go back). From Pingtung, I took a County bus to Sandimen, which took another 60 minutes. Many guide books mentioned that there was a bus that went direct to the TACP from Pingtung, but I couldn't find it and the staff at the TACP had no idea about it. So I got dropped off in some small isolated village and had to hike up the mountain in the middle of the monsoon rains to find it.
After 3 hours of mucking around, I only had 2 hours left before the park closed. I found it was enough, but I would have liked longer to watch the performances and eat in the restaurants.
Sandimen Township is a small mountain town located in Pingtung County in the south of Taiwan. It is much like any other small village, but it has a high proportion of Taiwan Aborigines (mostly Paiwan and Rukai). The town streets looked the same as any Han village, except they were adorned with aboriginal art and carvings (likely to be Paiwanese). Even though it was unmistakably a Taiwanese village, I felt like I could be in the South Pacific looking at all the faces on the street. Most of the Taiwanese Aborigines look nothing like their Polynesian cousins, but when it comes to the Paiwan and Rukai, they could easily move south and no-one would know the difference.
The Paiwan and Rukai are two very similar tribal groups. They both dress in a similar way, they both live in stone-slate houses, they both worship Dawu Mountain, and they both claim decent from the 'hundred-pacer snake'. The Paiwan are distinguished from the Rukai by their language and politics. The Paiwan language is mutually unintelligible with the Rukai languages (but then again, the dialects of the Rukai sub-tribes are mutually unintelligible with each other as well). The politics of the Paiwan is based on a strict hierarchical system with Nobles above Commoners (similar to the Samoans and Tongans). In one story the Nobles explain the legitimacy of their position. They explain how they came to find the lands and develop them and then others came later and paid taxes to the Nobles. So it is entirely possible that the Paiwan were an off-shoot of the Rukai. Though now the Paiwan are the larger tribe.
This idea is further strengthened by the fact that the word for 'sub-tribe' is the same in all dialects of Paiwan and Rukai - "She".
What foreign scholars refer to as the 'sub-tribe' is actually the main unit in Austronesian society (Maori call it the hapu). The "She" is a grouping of clans that share a common ancestor, and is the word that is more accurately translated as "tribe". Paiwan and Rukai are more accurately described as tribal confederations (iwi in Maori). The dialects of the "She" are highly divergent and are mutually unintelligible even to neighbours.
The Paiwan are famous for their wood carvings and many of their pillars grace the TACP. Actually, these look similar to the carvings made by Maori in New Zealand.
The Rukai have one custom in common that was mentioned at the TACP. It is the practice of courtship swinging. The man will swing his would-be bride atop a rope swing so he can display his love and affection. It also displays his strength by being able to push this heavy woman ever higher.
The most obvious commonality between the Paiwan and Rukai is the stone-slate houses that they live in. Though this may be an environmental factor considering the Bunun and many of the Tsou tribes also use stone-slate houses.
The houses are made from the abundance of smashed stones in the mountain areas. The tectonic forces that are pushing the Philippine plate under the Eurasian plate also smash rocks. One can find large piles of smashed rocks lying on the side of the road. These make a great building material.
The stone-slate houses are built into the slopes of the mountains. This helps protect the occupants during land slides and typhoons. A whole family will live inside one house where much of the inside is devoted to storing millet and grains. There is a large fire well dug in the centre of the house for cooking.
The TACP needs better labeling. Although each of the tribal groups was correctly labelled, the individual displays were not. This is a problem in areas of similar tribal groups (such as the Paiwan and Rukai) because one cannot distinguish the dividing line. My best guess is that this house is Rukai, though I can't be sure.
The other problem with the TACP is that is seems poorly maintained. Many displays are falling apart and the paths are overgrown with bushes and grass. When I walked into one house, a group of park staff were sitting on the beds laughing away listening to music and drinking. The subsequent displays were littered with rubbish. Not a good look.
The good thing about the TACP is that it is more up-to-date than the FACV (though the TACP still refers to the Tao as "Yami"). The TACP includes displays for the Sakizaya, Kavalan and Truku tribal groups that have been recently recognised. But again it is hard to know who these belonged to as the individual displays were only labelled with the location where they were found, not the tribe they belonged to. Ahem.
The Truku tribe was recently recognised when it was distinguished from the Atayal and Sediq. Previously, all three were considered to be part of one group. Scholars may agree on the separation from Atayal, but they find little to distinguish between the Sediq and Truku. Nevertheless, Truku is now a recognised tribe and they have a National Park named after them.
They are known as skilled hunters and gave the Japanese a run for their money when they tried to encroach. Though I think the wax friezes of a Truku man hunting a bear with a bow-and-arrow are a bit OTT.
I was most interested in seeing the Amis display, because I-missed the display at the FACV due to poor sign directions. The Amis were grouped with the Tao/Yami (why?), so again it was difficult to tell which was which.
As far as I can guess, the Amis lived in the larger dwellings (like the one below) and the Tao live in the smaller dwellings.
The Amis, Sakizaya and Kavalan are all related tribes and live on the far East coast. Their origin stories all claim decent from an off-shore island; though no-one has been able to determine which island it is. The most interesting thing about the Amis is that they are matriarchical. That is to say that the women hold all the power in society, and the men must ask permission to marry-into a family. Despite that, the men still hold leadership positions for farming and hunting and war.
Included in the Amis area was the Tao/Yami tribe. The Tao don't actually live on Taiwan Island, but rather they live on Lanyu (a small island off Taiwan's southern coast). The most interesting thing about the Tao is that they wear cone-shaped helmets made from tin to protect them from evil radio waves. Lanyu sits in the Philippine Sea and is hit by frequent typhoons. This may explain why their houses are small. Their houses look more like bivouacs than the larger houses on the mainland.
Despite that, they build large houses to keep their canoes. These large houses look very similar to Maori whare and house canoes used for fishing and travelling short distances.
The canoes look similar to American Indian canoes, and one has to wonder if there is a connection (Austronesians can sail to Easter Island and Madagascar, why can't they find North America?). The canoes are often used as symbols of the Taiwanese Aborigines, though no other tribe uses them.
Another tribe living on the East coast also came to Taiwan from elsewhere. The small Puyuma Tribe lives on the banks of the Beinan River at the foot of the Beinan Mountain. They are surrounded by the Paiwan, Rukai and Amis. For this reason they constructed the dwellings on bamboo stilts that were twice the height of a man. For this reason, they were the hegemon of the southern area until the Japanese occupation. The Puyuma are not related to any of the other tribes in Taiwan (aside from being Austronesian). They remind me more of the people in Guam and Palu - except they don't have the huge affro'.
One interesting thing about the Puyuma is the Monkey Festival. Puyuma is also matriarchal and so the men must prove their strength and skill by hunting monkeys. Though the wax display in the museum showed Puyuma men spearing a monkey in a cage.
The final display at the TACP was a wax museum that showed different aspects of Aboriginal culture. One interesting thing on display was the Pestle Music. The Aboriginals make percussion music by striking long pestles on a hard surface. This probably developed from their method of husking millet grains by ramming them in a large ceramic bowl with a large pestle.
Finally, I came to the end of the park in the Naluwan Village. "Naluwan" is an Amis word meaning 'welcome'. This word is used everywhere in Taiwan. Hotels, theatres, and baseball teams are named Naluwan. I doubt many Taiwanese know what it means. One told me it was the name of a tribe.
Anyway, the Naluwan Theatre displayed live performances from Aboriginal dancers. Unfortunately, I arrived too late to see the show as I was on a reduced time frame. The Naluwan Village also had a restaurant, but despite the fact there was at least an hour left before the posted closing time, the kitchen was closed and the staff were sitting around on the clock. I guess some things don't change no matter where in the world you may go.
The real highlight of the trip was the walk back down the mountain in the rain. After being told that there were no special buses back to Pingtung, I went looking for the bus station I got dropped off at - only to find it closed. One lone bus drove by a short time later and the driver got out to take a slash. I tried to ask him where he was going and when the next bus to Pingtung may be, but he gave me a long speech in Chinese with a lot of vague pointing. It is safe to say that I understood none of it, but the gist probably was that he was coming back around, because he showed up half an hour later to pick me up. Why not just let me get on board in the first place and save me from waiting in the rain? At least I didn't miss any of the connecting trains back home.
Sandimen really was beyond the Pale, but it was certainly worth the trip. The TACP is more accessible than the FACV (though travellers will probably head to Sun and Moon Lake anyway, where as there is not much else in Pingtung to see). It is a shame that there is not more known about the Aboriginals (considering they have shared a country with the Taiwanese for 400 years). But places like this, although flawed, still give one a view into what their life may have been like in the natural state.
The most obvious commonality between the Paiwan and Rukai is the stone-slate houses that they live in. Though this may be an environmental factor considering the Bunun and many of the Tsou tribes also use stone-slate houses.
The houses are made from the abundance of smashed stones in the mountain areas. The tectonic forces that are pushing the Philippine plate under the Eurasian plate also smash rocks. One can find large piles of smashed rocks lying on the side of the road. These make a great building material.
The stone-slate houses are built into the slopes of the mountains. This helps protect the occupants during land slides and typhoons. A whole family will live inside one house where much of the inside is devoted to storing millet and grains. There is a large fire well dug in the centre of the house for cooking.
The TACP needs better labeling. Although each of the tribal groups was correctly labelled, the individual displays were not. This is a problem in areas of similar tribal groups (such as the Paiwan and Rukai) because one cannot distinguish the dividing line. My best guess is that this house is Rukai, though I can't be sure.
The other problem with the TACP is that is seems poorly maintained. Many displays are falling apart and the paths are overgrown with bushes and grass. When I walked into one house, a group of park staff were sitting on the beds laughing away listening to music and drinking. The subsequent displays were littered with rubbish. Not a good look.
The good thing about the TACP is that it is more up-to-date than the FACV (though the TACP still refers to the Tao as "Yami"). The TACP includes displays for the Sakizaya, Kavalan and Truku tribal groups that have been recently recognised. But again it is hard to know who these belonged to as the individual displays were only labelled with the location where they were found, not the tribe they belonged to. Ahem.
The Truku tribe was recently recognised when it was distinguished from the Atayal and Sediq. Previously, all three were considered to be part of one group. Scholars may agree on the separation from Atayal, but they find little to distinguish between the Sediq and Truku. Nevertheless, Truku is now a recognised tribe and they have a National Park named after them.
They are known as skilled hunters and gave the Japanese a run for their money when they tried to encroach. Though I think the wax friezes of a Truku man hunting a bear with a bow-and-arrow are a bit OTT.
I was most interested in seeing the Amis display, because I-missed the display at the FACV due to poor sign directions. The Amis were grouped with the Tao/Yami (why?), so again it was difficult to tell which was which.
As far as I can guess, the Amis lived in the larger dwellings (like the one below) and the Tao live in the smaller dwellings.
The Amis, Sakizaya and Kavalan are all related tribes and live on the far East coast. Their origin stories all claim decent from an off-shore island; though no-one has been able to determine which island it is. The most interesting thing about the Amis is that they are matriarchical. That is to say that the women hold all the power in society, and the men must ask permission to marry-into a family. Despite that, the men still hold leadership positions for farming and hunting and war.
Included in the Amis area was the Tao/Yami tribe. The Tao don't actually live on Taiwan Island, but rather they live on Lanyu (a small island off Taiwan's southern coast). The most interesting thing about the Tao is that they wear cone-shaped helmets made from tin to protect them from evil radio waves. Lanyu sits in the Philippine Sea and is hit by frequent typhoons. This may explain why their houses are small. Their houses look more like bivouacs than the larger houses on the mainland.
Despite that, they build large houses to keep their canoes. These large houses look very similar to Maori whare and house canoes used for fishing and travelling short distances.
The canoes look similar to American Indian canoes, and one has to wonder if there is a connection (Austronesians can sail to Easter Island and Madagascar, why can't they find North America?). The canoes are often used as symbols of the Taiwanese Aborigines, though no other tribe uses them.
Another tribe living on the East coast also came to Taiwan from elsewhere. The small Puyuma Tribe lives on the banks of the Beinan River at the foot of the Beinan Mountain. They are surrounded by the Paiwan, Rukai and Amis. For this reason they constructed the dwellings on bamboo stilts that were twice the height of a man. For this reason, they were the hegemon of the southern area until the Japanese occupation. The Puyuma are not related to any of the other tribes in Taiwan (aside from being Austronesian). They remind me more of the people in Guam and Palu - except they don't have the huge affro'.
One interesting thing about the Puyuma is the Monkey Festival. Puyuma is also matriarchal and so the men must prove their strength and skill by hunting monkeys. Though the wax display in the museum showed Puyuma men spearing a monkey in a cage.
The final display at the TACP was a wax museum that showed different aspects of Aboriginal culture. One interesting thing on display was the Pestle Music. The Aboriginals make percussion music by striking long pestles on a hard surface. This probably developed from their method of husking millet grains by ramming them in a large ceramic bowl with a large pestle.
Finally, I came to the end of the park in the Naluwan Village. "Naluwan" is an Amis word meaning 'welcome'. This word is used everywhere in Taiwan. Hotels, theatres, and baseball teams are named Naluwan. I doubt many Taiwanese know what it means. One told me it was the name of a tribe.
Anyway, the Naluwan Theatre displayed live performances from Aboriginal dancers. Unfortunately, I arrived too late to see the show as I was on a reduced time frame. The Naluwan Village also had a restaurant, but despite the fact there was at least an hour left before the posted closing time, the kitchen was closed and the staff were sitting around on the clock. I guess some things don't change no matter where in the world you may go.
The real highlight of the trip was the walk back down the mountain in the rain. After being told that there were no special buses back to Pingtung, I went looking for the bus station I got dropped off at - only to find it closed. One lone bus drove by a short time later and the driver got out to take a slash. I tried to ask him where he was going and when the next bus to Pingtung may be, but he gave me a long speech in Chinese with a lot of vague pointing. It is safe to say that I understood none of it, but the gist probably was that he was coming back around, because he showed up half an hour later to pick me up. Why not just let me get on board in the first place and save me from waiting in the rain? At least I didn't miss any of the connecting trains back home.
Sandimen really was beyond the Pale, but it was certainly worth the trip. The TACP is more accessible than the FACV (though travellers will probably head to Sun and Moon Lake anyway, where as there is not much else in Pingtung to see). It is a shame that there is not more known about the Aboriginals (considering they have shared a country with the Taiwanese for 400 years). But places like this, although flawed, still give one a view into what their life may have been like in the natural state.
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