The Pingtung County Government on Tuesday approved the listing of heritage sites, ceremonies and protection of Paiwan artifacts.
The artifacts include a skull altar and ceremonial house with a wall relief of human faces, both in Wangjia Township’s (望嘉) old village; the former Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) railroad crossing through Chaojhou Township (潮州); the Chang family’s ancestral residence in the north gate area of Hengchun Township (恆春); the Shan Mu Catholic Church in Sinpi Township (新埤); maljeveq ceremonies — a ceremony to worship ancestors — in the Bailu (白鷺) and Wangjia townships (望嘉); the pusau ceremony — a ceremony to send ancestors away — in Laiyi Township (來義), and a ceremonial procession called xun nan ding (巡男丁) in Pingtung County’s Haifong Township (海豐).
The government said the rack of skulls in Laiyi Township is the largest among Paiwan relics, and is the most well-preserved altar made from human skulls, a site that experts believe dates back 400 years.
Laiyi Township Mayor Tou Wang-yi (竇望義) said the altar was built over many years and has many skulls that Paiwan warriors took when head-hunting — a practice that proved the mettle of a warrior and maximized the use of limited resources among different villages.
The ceremonial house with a wall relief of human faces has seen generations of Paiwan worship, Tou said, adding that the building was also important for tracing the migration of the Cimo people.
It is believed that Cimos migrated to Taiwan from Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) and then split into two subgroups, one remaining in Laiyi Township and being assimilated with Paiwans, while another group crossed the mountains into Taitung, later merging with a group of Puyuma people.
The county government’s Department of Cultural Affairs said that Wangjia Township’s old village played an important role in the history of the Paiwan people and suggested that the area become a “cultural sightseeing” destination.
The government said it listed a railway bridge as a designated heritage site in an effort to prevent further damage, after a planned cycle path across the bridge caused damage last year.
The catholic church in Sinpi was built in 1965 using pebble stones from the nearby Laiyi River (來義溪). German architects hired by the Order of Preachers designed the church, known for its unusual hexagonal roof.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS