The Tsou tribe is one of the smallest Aboriginal tribes in Taiwan, with a total population of its two branches in Chiayi and Kaohsiung counties numbering less than 6,000. Decimated by imported diseases and assimilated into larger tribes and more recently into Chinese society, it's something of a miracle that any vestiges of traditional Tsou life remain.
However, a vigorous effort over the past decade to revive and reinstate the tribe's language and rituals into its everyday life has saved many of the tribe's unique ceremonies from disappearing into history.
On Monday and Tuesday a traveling troupe from the Sha-a-lu-a, southern sub-tribe of the Tsou, will give audiences in Taipei a rare opportunity to witness the Maitungusu, a post-harvest ceremony that combines dance and song to thank the god Takiaru for bountiful harvests, successful hunting and protection from natural disaster.
As one of the most solemn rituals in Tsou culture, it was previously held only once every two or three years by decree from village elders. But, under Japanese rule and then the KMT regime, the Maitungusu wasn't held for decades. In 1993 the oldest members of the tribe worked together to piece together the different elements of the ritual, which is now held every year in January.
The Tsou believe that three of its warriors volunteered to kill a second sun that was scorching the earth and were dispatched by clan leaders, each carrying a young boy on his back, to carry out their task. The original three warriors died of old age on their long journey and it was their sons who eventually killed the second sun and returned home as withered old men. The moon, according to this folklore, is the dead second sun-drained of its blood. Elements of this myth are brought out in the dances and chants of the Maitungusu.
For your information :
What: Tsou Tribal Performance When: Monday and Tuesday Where: Taiwan Cement Building, 3F, 113, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N Rd, Taipei (
Tickets: NT$350, available at the venue.
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