Kunlun'ao Historic Trail

More than 90% of the population in Wanjin Village believes in Catholicism. It is a very special Catholic village. Many residents of neighboring Chishan and Jiapaolang settlements also take this as their belief. In May of the 2nd year of Tongzhi (1863), the Dominican missionary Father Guo Degang (Fernando Sainz, O.P.) built the first earthen church in Wanjin. In the 5th year of Tongzhi, the church was completely destroyed due to mob arson, without leaving any image records. In December of the 8th year of Tongzhi (1869), a solid church was built in the Chishan area (now Chishan Village and Wanjin Village of Wanluan Township). Inside the church there were three holy statues that were shipped from the Philippines, making it the oldest existing Catholic Church in Taiwan, this is Wanjin Catholic Basilica or also known as the Wanchin Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

The construction of the Wanjin Catholic Church completed in the 9th year of Tongzhi (1870). It is a traditional European Gothic church building with a width of 57 feet, a depth of 116 feet, a height of 25 feet, and an outer wall thickness of 2 feet. In the 13th year of Tongzhi (1874), the Qing Emperor issued the "Fengzhi" approval, and the sacred stone with the words "Catholic Church" was personally sent by Shen Baozhen to the Wanjin Temple and hung at the entrance of the church. In 1984, the church was conferred the title of basilica by Pope John Paul II, making it the first church in Taiwan to receive such title. This means the first-level church in the Catholic Church that enjoys the highest charism in the church. Wanjin Catholic Church underwent multile renovations during the 11th year of Guangxu (1885) and 1960. Yet today it retains its original appearance , like a medieval castle.
 

At the entrance of the Kulou community in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County, there is an image of Maljeveq,  the vine ball ceremony of the five-year festival, and the surrounding black marble stone wall is decorated with stone carvings. One of the highlights of the five-year festival is the vine ball ceremony. In the past, the ball used in the ceremony is woven with vines, but now it is woven with acacia bark into a ball with a diameter of about 12 cm. Usually, about 200 balls are prepared for a five-year festival, some of which are blessed by shamans and priests and used in the vine ball ceremony, while others are used for practice. A twine is attached to the vine ball, which is used to throw the ball higher. The length of the thorn is 15 meters, so the ball must be thrown at least 18 meters high, not only high but also straight. When the ball is caught by the sharpened pole, it is an honor to take the "sacred ball" home and enshrine it in the ancestral house.

The ancestral spirit house is the most sacred place for the Paiwan people. Each clan has its own ancestral spirit house. During the millet harvest festival and the five-year festival, people from the same clan will return to the ancestral spirit house to reunite. In addition, each tribe has its own ancestral house. During the festival, priests, shamans, and leaders perform various ceremonies there, and outsiders are not allowed to participate. The ancestral spirit house is built with stone slabs. Except for the most important ancestor statues, there is almost no other furniture inside the house. Only wooden frames are nailed to the surrounding walls, on which are placed precious earthen pots, copper pots and other collectibles. In addition, vine balls and sharpened poles from the five-tear festival, tusks of wild boars, skulls, eagle feathers, claws, and teeth of the bears are also collected in the ancestral spirit house to pass on to future generations. There are two ancestral houses in Kulou Village. The earliest cinekecekan is located at the turning point of Zhongshan Road. Later, due to the increasing population in the village, the hunting ancestral spirit house (rusivawan) was added on the side of Zhongzheng Road.

The Sjilevavav community belongs to the fifth and sixth alleys of Danlin Village, Laiyi Township, Pingtung County. Around 1956, with the encouragement of the government, the residents of this community moved in from the old Laiyi community. From 1973 to 1979, some residents moved here from Congyi Village and Yilin Village. In 1959, Sjilevavav and other four communities (Danlin, Yilin, Dahou, and Zhufalifo) merged into one Danlin Village. In 1962, Yilin community and Dahou community merged into Yilin Village. Since then, Danlin Village has only got three communities: Danlin, Sjilevavav, and Zhufalifo. Later, in order to promote community construction, Danlin Village was divided into two communities: Danlin Community and Sjievavav Community (including the Zhufalifo Tribe).

Laiyi Village is located on the gently sloping land on the left bank of Linbian Creek, Laiyi Township, Pingtung County. It was formed in 1953 when people migrated out of the old Laiyi. Laiyishe or also called Neishe is the old hamlet during the Japanese colonial era. It was originally located on the left bank of the upper reaches of the Neishe River, at an altitude of 360-600 meters, forming two collective tribes. The large tribe in the southeast is called chajiakavus, a small tribe in the northwest is called chingasan, translated as Zhenya community. At that time, there was a police post set up there. In 1950, the national government asked people from the old Laiyi to move down the mountain. At that time, Ruvaniyav (Gao Wu'an), the leader of the old Laiyi, discussed with the elders and set aside the land of Ruvaniyav's family at the foot of the old Laiyi and distributed it equally to the tribe. The migration of the entire tribe was not completed until 1957. Later, due to the limited hinterland, the tribe expanded to the east, and was divided into two settlements, Tjanadjaqas (Eastern hamlet) and Vuta (Western hamlet), with Laiyi National Elementary School as the boundary line. In 2011, after the Morakot and Vannabi hurricanes, some residents of the original hamlet were successively resettled by the government and moved to the permanent housing base of the "Xinlaiyi Community" in Nan'an Farm, Xinpi Township, Pingtung County, forming a coexistence of the original hamlet and the new hamlet.

Laiyi Village is located on the gently sloping land on the left bank of Linbian Creek, Laiyi Township, Pingtung County. It was formed in 1953 when people migrated out of the old Laiyi. Laiyishe or also called Neishe is the old hamlet during the Japanese colonial era. It was originally located on the left bank of the upper reaches of the Neishe River, at an altitude of 360-600 meters, forming two collective tribes. The large tribe in the southeast is called chajiakavus, a small tribe in the northwest is called chingasan, translated as Zhenya community. At that time, there was a police post set up there. In 1950, the national government asked people from the old Laiyi to move down the mountain. At that time, Ruvaniyav (Gao Wu'an), the leader of the old Laiyi, discussed with the elders and set aside the land of Ruvaniyav's family at the foot of the old Laiyi and distributed it equally to the tribe. The migration of the entire tribe was not completed until 1957. Later, due to the limited hinterland, the tribe expanded to the east, and was divided into two settlements, Tjanadjaqas (Eastern hamlet) and Vuta (Western hamlet), with Laiyi National Elementary School as the boundary line. In 2011, after the Morakot and Vannabi hurricanes, some residents of the original hamlet were successively resettled by the government and moved to the permanent housing base of the "Xinlaiyi Community" in Nan'an Farm, Xinpi Township, Pingtung County, forming a coexistence of the original hamlet and the new hamlet.

Old Laiyi is located on the mountainside on the left bank of the upper reaches of Neishe River at an altitude of about 360-600 meters, forming two hamlets. The large hamlet in the southeast is called chajiakavus, while the smaller hamlet in the northwest is called chingasan (translated as Zhenya community), which was separated from the larger hamlet. At that time, it was under the jurisdiction of the police post stationed there.

Old Laiyi is located on the mountainside on the left bank of the upper reaches of Neishe River at an altitude of about 360-600 meters, forming two hamlets. The large hamlet in the southeast is called chajiakavus, while the smaller hamlet in the northwest is called chingasan (translated as Zhenya community), which was separated from the larger hamlet. At that time, it was under the jurisdiction of the police post stationed there.

Neipu Camp, located in Neipu Township in Pingtung County, was the base camp for the excavation of the Kunlun’ao Trail during the Qing Dynasty period. It has now been converted into a local cemetery. After the Mudanshe incident in 1874, the Qing government began to actively govern Taiwan and formulated a policy of excavating mountains and managing indigenes. The most important measure was to build the garrison road that connected the front and the back of the mountains. The first to be excavated was the Chishan-Beinan Historic Trail, also known as the Kunlun’ao Historic Trail. The trail was built in the same year as the Mudanshe incident. At that time, the two battalions were guarded by Zhang Kuiyuan, the town army, and troops were dispatched and stationed at camps of Kunlun'ao, Dashiyan, Audong and other camps to help Yuan Wenzhuo continue to excavate the trail.

The Danlin Hamlet is located on the foothill platform on the right bank of Laiyi River, above the southeast side of the Danlin Suspension Bridge in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County. It is about 140 meters above sea level. In the early post-war period, the Paiwan tribe of the Danlin group moved here collectively. Later, some people from the Laiyi group and Taiwu group also migrated here. The traditional Paiwan name of this place is Boraberuwan, which is the name of a tree specie. In fact, the old tribe of Danlinshe is located on the slope of Mount Wuwei on the south side of the confluence of Neishe River and Dahou River. It is about 530 meters above sea level. During the Japanese occupation, 53 households with 168 people were under the jurisdiction of Laiyishe police post.

Yilin Hamlet is located on the gentle slope of the foothills where the Dahou River and Neishe River meet in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County. In the early post-war period, the Paiwan tribe of Laiyishe collectively relocated their village to a new area. However, due to limited space, some people migrated here, forming Yilin Hamlet. The traditional Paiwan name of the place is Chianashia.

Today, due to the Morakot disaster in 2009 and Typhoon Fanapi in 2010, which caused severe damages to Laiyi Township, some residents of the Yilin Hamlet have moved to live in the Xinlaiyi Hamlet in Xinpi Township, Pingtung County. However, since the Xinlaiyi hamlet consists of different tribes, it still belongs to Laiyi Township rather than Xinpi Township.

The old Laiyi Hamlet, in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County, is located on the mountainside on the left bank of the upper reaches of Neishe River. It is about 360 to 600 meters above sea level. There are two congregated hamlets. The larger one on the southeastern side is called Chajiakavus. The smaller one on the northwestern side is called Chingasan, which stemmed out from the larger hamlet. In fact, during the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan set up a police post in Laiyishe to monitor the hamlet. In the early post-war period, the tribes were forced to collectively relocate their villages to the present Laiyi hamlet.

To get to Old Laiyi hamlet, enter from the fork road on the 6.5 km point of Yilin Road, and you will see the stone stele of the old Jala’afus tribe at the entrance. There are still large-scale slate houses in the hamlet ruins.

The Old Laiyi Police Post is located on a wide platform above the slate houses of the Old Laiyi tribe in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County. There are relics such as iron houses, water towers, and water tanks on site. The building was set up by the Government-General in Taiwan during the Japanese occupation. In fact, there are two hamlets in the area.  The larger hamlet on the southeastern side is called Chajiakavus, and the smaller hamlet on the northwestern side is called Chingasan. In the early post-war period, the tribesmen were forced to collectively relocate their villages to the current Laiyi hamlet.

To get to Old Laiyi hamlet, enter from the fork road on the 6.5 km point of Yilin Road, and you will see the stone stele of the old Jala’afus tribe at the entrance. There are still large-scale slate houses in the hamlet ruins.

The old Laiyi hamlet, in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County, is located on the mountainside on the left bank of the upper reaches of Neishe River. It is about 360 to 600 meters above sea level. There are two hamlets. The larger one on the southeastern side is called Chajiakavus. The smaller one on the northwestern side is called Chingasan, which stemmed out from the larger hamlet. In fact, during the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan set up a police post in Laiyishe. In the early post-war period, the tribes were forced to collectively relocate their villages to the present Laiyi hamlet.

To get to Old Laiyi hamlet, enter from the fork road on the 6.5 km point of Yilin Road, and you will see the stone stele of the old Jala’afus tribe at the entrance. There are still large-scale slate houses in the hamlet ruins.

The old Laiyi Hamlet, in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County, is located on the mountainside on the left bank of the upper reaches of Neishe River. It is about 360 to 600 meters above sea level. There are two hamlets. The larger one on the southeastern side is called Chajiakavus. The smaller one on the northwestern side is called Chingasan, which stemmed out from the larger hamlet. In fact, during the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan set up a police post in Laiyishe. In the early post-war period, the tribes were forced to collectively relocate their villages to the present Laiyi Hamlet.

To get to Old Laiyi Hamlet, enter from the fork road on the 6.5 km point of Yilin Road, and you will see the stone stele of the old Jala’afus tribe at the entrance. There are still large-scale slate houses in the hamlet ruins.

Kashan is located in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County, on the north side of the mountain, at about 1,250 meters above sea level. Kashan has a section of the Kunlun’ao Trail, which was the first road excavated to manage indigene in the Qing period. During the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan used part of the Kunlun’ao Trail as a Lifan road (indigene management route), starting from Chaozhou in the west, passing through Laiyshe, and arriving at the Guloushe. From the east, the trail goes from Jinlunshe, passing by the Huangshe and reaching the Zhuyegeshe. The middle section that crosses the central mountain range is left unused.

Located in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County, there is a tombstone at the entrance of the old Gulou Hamlet, which is engraved with the words “Tomb of warriors who died in the battle”. It was the tragic death of those indigenous peoples who joined the Takasago Volunteer Team and fought in the Pacific War that occurred at the end of the Japanese Occupation period. The rectangular tomb covered with stone slabs is a joint burial site for these men. 

During the Second World War, Taiwan’s Government-General organized a group of young indigenous peoples to assist in the war in Nanyang. This organization, commonly known as the Takasago Volunteer Team, was dispatched several times. In 1942, the first batch of 500 Takasago volunteers came forward to serve the country. They went to the Philippines to fight, and later were even reorganized into the special task force.

The Old Gulou Hamlet is located on a steep slope, on the south-eastern side of Mount Wuwei in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County. It is at an altitude of about 1,150 meters. The traditional Paiwan name for the place is Kuljaljau, though it is also known as Kulun’ao and Jalongya.

During the Japanese occupation, the hamlet was the largest indigenous settlement. There were five close-knit tribes, among which Umaq was the first to be developed, and the others were derived from this. At the end of the Japanese occupation, as Old Gulou Hamlet centered on the Kunanau Police Post at that time, the Government-General in Taiwan encouraged the tribes to move to Taimali Township and Daren Township in Taitung County in order to divide the tribe.

In the early post-war period, the National Government also arranged a collective relocation of the hamlet to the current Gulou Hamlet.

Zhuyege Hamlet is located in Jinfeng Township, Taitung County. The hamlet sits on the gentle slope of the Dalili Mountain ridge, about 525 meters above sea level. At the end of the Qing period, due to the farming of the land in the Zhuyegeshe, some of the tribesmen moved to the southern side on the right bank of Nabao River and built a new hamlet near Huangshe. Later, the tribesmen migrated away from the hamlet and formed Daoweilaoshe and Nabaoshe. In the early days of Japanese rule, the tribes of Zhuyegeshe moved to the vicinity of Huangshe. In the early post-war period, the National Government moved all the tribesmen near Huangshe to the mountain reservation land in Beili Village, Taimali Township. The hamlet was rebuilt and its name was changed to Xinxing Village.

Liqiu Hamlet, located in Jinfeng Township, Taitung County, was formed by the amalgamation of three settlements: Rulakes’she, Chushuiposhe, and Jiajiaduowanshe. At the end of the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan enforced a collective migration into Rulakes’she. After the war, the National Government re-named the hamlet to Liqiu, which became the largest hamlet in Jinfeng Township.

Jinlun Hamlet is located on the alluvial plain on the north bank of the Jinlun River estuary in Taimali Township, Taitung County. The traditional Paiwan name for the place is Kanaron, which was named after the abundant rosary pea plants there. It can also be called Hanzilun or Jiazinan. Jinlun hamlet existed as early as the Dutch colonial period, and once participated in the Eastern Local Conference held in Beinan in 1655. Due to its ideal location at the mouth of Jinlun River, it was an important place to dispatch coastal defense troops to garrison during the Qing period. During the Japanese occupation, police post, education center, and trade center were also set up there.