Ita Thao, located in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, was called Bu Ji or Huafanshe during the Japanese Occupation. In 1934, the Government-General in Taiwan began the construction of the Sun Moon Lake Hydropower Project. The Thao people were forced to move away from their original settlements. When the Sun Moon Lake Reservoir was completed, they began to actively develop tourism in the area. The Thao people’s traditional pestle song and dance performances became a selling point for attracting tourists. They also invested in canoes and sold handicrafts, which caused a rapid change in the economic life and social organization of the Thao people.
In the postwar period, the National Government changed its name to Dehuashe. It was not until 2000, when the Thao became the 10th officially recognized indigenous group in Taiwan, that it was renamed Ita Thao.
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