Piahau Historic Trail

"Bbu" means "a place with a good view from the platform on the mountain" in the Atayal language. From the name, it is clear how the terrain of this hamlet is like. The hamlet is located at the intersection of the left bank of the north Heping River and the Mohen River, at an altitude of about 1,200 meters. The Japanese Occupation Security Road passes below the hamlet, leading to Liuxingshe in the east and Jinyangshe in the west. There is an Education Center for indigenous children and a fort in Kubaboshe. At present, the school playground, the command platform, and the drainage ditch can still be seen in the hamlet. 
In the early days, traditional Atayla house was used as the official’s office. Later in the first year of the Showa era (1926), the Japanese built the Kubabo police post  using cypress wood. However, there are no traces of the wooden structure of the building any more, only huge  stacked stone foundations remain.

"Bbu" means "a place with a good view from the platform on the mountain" in the Atayal language. From the name, it is clear how the terrain of this hamlet is like. The hamlet is located at the intersection of the left bank of the north Heping River and the Mohen River, at an altitude of about 1,200 meters. The Japanese Occupation Security Road passes below the hamlet, leading to Liuxingshe in the east and Jinyangshe in the west. There is an Education Center for indigenous children and a fort in Kubaboshe. At present, the school playground, the command platform, and the drainage ditch can still be seen in the hamlet. 
In the early days, traditional Atayla house was used as the official’s office. Later in the first year of the Showa era (1926), the Japanese built the Kubabo police post  using cypress wood. However, there are no traces of the wooden structure of the building any more, only huge  stacked stone foundations remain.

The ancestors of the Gogotsu-she came from the upper reaches of Dajia River. They passed through habun sublus and Nanhu Mountain, and finally settled in a place called bbu (meaning flat top) in the upper reaches of north Heping River. They have also lived in Piahaushe and after that, went down along the north Heping River and lived on the Tbunan platform on the right bank of the Boxiaowan River estuary. Due to the increasing population and lack of arable land, the people later migrated to Gogotsu-she. Since 1913, members of the Gogotsu-she have successively moved to Sifanglin and upper Dong’aoshe in Hanxi Village (north of Dong’ao Police Station). Originally it was called lower Gogotsu-she, with a total of 59 people of 11 households. In 1922, it was renamed the Upper Dong’aoshe.

The migration process of the Chinuosi-she that got passed down orally is almost identical to that of the Gogotsu-she, and the relationship between the two communities is very close. Chinuosi-she was established during the time of the chief Meraaran. At that time, they were living with Gogotsu-she on the Tbunan platform on the right bank of the Bouxiao Wanxi estuary.  After a while, Meraaran found that the Chinuosi-she was suitable for settlement and moved here. However, the tribe has difficulty in obtaining water because Chinuosi situated in the middle of the mountain, facing the north Heping River with a steep cliff in the southwest. Therefore, they began migrating to the south Nan’ao River, around 4 kilometers east of sendan police post  in 1915.  In 1920, many people died due to influenza and malaria and in 1923, Chinuosi-she relocated to the right bank of south Nan’ao River, around 1.3 kilometers south of sendan police post, and renamed Xuantanshe, with a total of 52 people of 16.  households.  As the land was too sloping and difficult to cultivate, the cmmunity relocated again to a platform 1 km northeast of the sendan police post in 1931, and finally moved to the current Jinyang Village.

Ryohen-she is located on the slope facing east, the ridge line between Buxiaowan River and Ryohen (Kong Sawsi) River, a tributary of  north Heping River, at an altitude of about 1,000 meters. The area is open, sunny, and suitable for living. The residents believe that their ancestor Bato Naui set out from pinsəbəkan together with Wasau Payas, crossed the Nanhu Mountain and arrived at habun kolo, where Bato stopped and settled. Wasau Payas and his tribe carried on moving eastward to kngungn (south of old Jinyangshe, Linxi Platform), where Wasau died. The tribe later moved to Tbunan, a platform by the river terrace on the right bank of the Buxiaowan River estuary.  

Decades later, due to the increase in population, the tribe migrated to three different places, namely Ryohen-she, which was lead by the then leader Takun Bakotsi. They went up along the Ryohen River to the mountainside to establish the settlement. The other group traveled northward for about one kilometer to establish Gogotsu-she, while the third group, led by Meraaran, established the Rəkinos-she near Gogotsu-she.

Kngungu is an ancient tribe of Klesan. According to the oral tradition of its migration, each tribe left the ancient tribe of habun Kolo and went east to Piahaushe. This settlement was later established as a permanent hamlet by the Mabaala people and continued until the 1930s. While the Kana-Xaqual people crossed Piahaushe, went alond the north Heping River towards the east and settled in Moyao, Kngungu and other places. 

Later, they moved away from the land of Kngungu to the north (upward along the mountain ridge) around 1,000 kilometers above sea level and gradually established settlements Jinyangshe, Kigayangshe, Kubabo, Kelumuo’anshe, Hagawan, Hagaparis, Tabera, Lahau and Klgyah. The Kana-Xaqual people exhibit a continuous linear community diffusion, making them an important ancient tribe for the spread of the Squliq language.
 

Tawan (or Tabera) in Datong Township of Yilan County, is located in the Beixi River Basin of Danan'ao. In the early days of the Japanese occupation in 1903, Yilan Police Officer, Honda Masaki, led a team into the mountainous area to investigate the area. Below the confluence of Nan'ao Creek, there were two roads. One was to climb the Yaplasai Mountain to reach Liuxingshe, and the other was to cross the west side of the Yaplasai Mountain to reach Taberashe. After the investigation was completed, a report was submitted. This document pointed out that at the time there were 15 communes in Nan’ao, and the path to those communes in Nan’ao was more difficult than the road into the mountains in Danan’ao.

Located in Nan'ao Township of Yilan County, Kigayan Hamlet is located about 1 km west of Jingyang Hamlet, on a flat land below the then garrison road of the Japanese. The Atayal traditional name for the place is Kikeyan, which means footprints. Rumor has it that the name came about people leaving their footprints when passing through this area. As a fact, where Kigayan Hamlet used to be was originally the cultivated land of the Jingyang Hamlet. Later, three tribal families moved here and established a small community. According to Field Reporter Doras, at the beginning there were only three households with eight people in the Kigayan community. Then it increased to 18 households with 69 people. At the end of the Japanese occupation period, the tribes moved to the present Jingyang Village and Aohua Village, leaving only five households in Kigayan.

Jinyangshe is located on a south-sloping hillside on the left bank of Hepingbei Creek in Nan’ao Township, Yilan County.  It is about 1,200 meters above sea level. Due to the terrain, it is divided into the Knyan Hamlet on the west side of the valley and the Yuwu Hamlet on the east. The Atayal traditional name of the place is Nekenyan, which means forgotten because it is said that in the past, the tribesmen forgot their things there. Regarding the reclamation history of the Jingyangshe, the ancestor Takun Bato led the tribe from Pinsəbəkan through the Nanhu Dashan and the Biyahaoshe to settle in Kngungn in the 1790s. Later, his son Ponya led the tribe to move to Jingyangshe.

During the Japanese occupation, the Jingyangshe, Biyahoshe, and Kubaboshe were regarded as big communes due to their large population and power.

Tabihanshe is located in Nan'ao Township, Yilan County. The traditional Atayal name for the place is Təbiyaxen, which means wild peony. There are two theories recorded about the establishment of the community. One is the survey records of the Derakanshe during the Japanese occupation. The other theory is when Buta Naui, the then chief of Derakanshe, migrated some tribesmen down the right bank of South Nan’ao Creek and established the Tabihanshe about 1.5 km away from the Derakanshe due to the increasing population and insufficient arable land. It was not until his son succeeded; the two communities have a clearer independence. Although the second theory is better known, it retains its doubt.

Kumoyaushe is located on the top platform of the cliff in Nan’ao Township, Yilan County. To get there, it is necessary to start from Liuxingshe on the east side of the Piahau Historic Trail, travel south through the hot springs and then turn to the west, passing by Maobian Police Post, Kubabuoshe, Kelumuo’anshe, Kigayanshe and Jingyangshe. In the early days of Japanese rule, Taiwan’s Government-General had established a police post here in 1911.

The Piahau Historic Trail, which runs through Nan'ao Township and Datong Township in Yilan County, was built in 1919. There is also a Tongshan branch route that reaches Hanxi Village in the north and connects to the main line near Leyoxen'she. The main route is about 87.2 km in length and the branch route is about 44.2 km, both pass through the traditional territories of the Atayal tribe of the Nan’ao group. During the Japanese occupation, Taiwan’s Government-General used the Piahau Historic Trail as the path for migrating the Atayal people, forcing them to move out of their village. In the early post-war period, the National Government also forced the tribes to move to the plains, and the last tribe to be moved was the Hagaparis.

Today, the Piahau Historic Trail is classified as a national trail. Most sections of the road still exist and are accessible although the trail has not been fully restored.

Piahaushe in Nan’ao Township, Yilan County, is located on the river terrace on the right bank of the upper reaches of Hepingbei Creek. It is located at the confluence of the Cikaogan River. It sits at an altitude of about 1,000 meters. The traditional Atayal name for it is Biho, which is based on the name of the tribal leader, Biho Naui. During the Japanese occupation, it was named Baiyaushe, which stem from the Japanese pronunciation of “Piyahau”. In the post-war period, it was transliterated into Piahau. After the tribes migrated to the plains of Nan’ao, the place was commonly called Bihou.

200 years ago, the ancestor Gunpai Noekkan  led 9 households of 36 people to settle here at the Hagaparis Hamlet in Nan’ao Township, Yilan County. They traveled from the north of Lishan Mountain to Moyao in Heping River Basin cutting through Nanhu Dashan and settled in Hagawan-she. The son of Noekkan carried on, leading the tribe to migrate again to build a community in Hagaparis. According to the records of the Japanese anthropologist, Mori Chosuke, the Hagaparis community had only 17 households. Due to its remote location, the Governor-General in Taiwan did not open a guard road here but had once stationed a police post. In the early days of the Japanese occupation, the people of Hagaparis Hamlet moved to Hanxi Village around 1915, and then moved to Nan'ao Plain in 1964 to live with the people of Wuta Village.

Doras hunting hut is located on the north side of the ridge line between Yax Bula Saddle and Gegezishe in Nan'ao Township, Yilan County. It has an open terrain and a good view due to the high elevation. It is owned by the elderly Doras of Jingyang Village. He was the last elder of the Kubabuoshe to be moved down from the mountain. However, according to the field survey record, this place was rebuilt  during the Japanese occupation by the Government-General in Taiwan. It can be identified from the stone stacked at the bottom of the working hut that it was not the traditional technique of the Atayal people. In addition, according to historian Liao Yingjie's research, this place may be the Gegezi Dispatching Station, and it was once the Gegezi Meteorological Observatory.

Tongshan Police Post is located in the south-west of Tongshan in Nan'ao Township, Yilan County. It sits at an altitude of about 1,620 meters. In fact, the Piahau Historic Trail, which runs through Nan’ao Township and Datong Township in Yilan County, was built in 1919. There is also a Tongshan branch route that reaches Hanxi Village in the north and connects to the main route near Leyoxenshe. The main route is about 87.2 km in length and the branch route is about 44.2 km, both pass through the traditional territories of the Atayal tribe of the Nan’ao group.

During the Japanese occupation, Taiwan’s Governor-General used the Piahau Historic Trail as the path for migrating the Atayal people, forcing them to move out of their village. In the early post-war period, the National Government also forced the tribes to move to the plains.

The entrance of Futaishan Guard Road is located in the Heliu River Basin in Nan’ao Township, Yilan County. To get there, walk north from Nanzi Police Post towards Wutashe, passing the three-way intersection in front of Nan'ao Nanxi, and then climb up the ridgeline in the south-west direction. After boarding the ridgeline, you will arrive at a small platform, which is the entrance of the Futaishan Guard Road, and the Atayal named it Biuho. This section of the trail passes through the south side of the Futaishan and connects with Gegezi Guard Road. Where they intersect was the former site of the Heliu Police Post.

Today, the Atayal people still use this path especially when they planted shiitake mushrooms in the 1970s.

The Shanjiao Police Post is located on the branch of the east riverbank of North Nan’ao Creek in Datong Township, Yilan County.  It was built in 1919 and is about 750 meters above sea level. In fact, the Piahau Historic Trail, which runs through Nan’ao Township and Datong Township in Yilan County, was built in 1919. There is also a Tongshan branch route that reaches Hanxi Village in the north and connects to the main route near Leyoxenshe. The main route is about 87.2 km in length and the branch route is about 44.2 km, both pass through the traditional territories of the Atayal tribe of the Nan’ao group.

During the Japanese occupation, Taiwan’s Governor-General used the Piahau Historic Trail as the path for migrating the Atayal people, forcing them to move out of their village. In the early post-war period, the National Government also forced the tribes to move to the plains.

The Maobian Police Post is located in the saddle of Mouhen in Nan'ao Township, Yilan County. It was built in 1919 for the year when the Paihau Historic Trail was also excavated. There is also a Tongshan branch route that reaches Hanxi Village in the north and connects to the main route near Leyoxenshe. The main route is about 87.2 km in length and the branch route is about 44.2 km, both pass through the traditional territories of the Atayal tribe of the Nan’ao group.

During the Japanese occupation, Taiwan’s Governor-General used the Piahau Historic Trail as the path for migrating the Atayal people, forcing them to move out of their village. In the early post-war period, the National Government also forced the tribes to move to the plains.

Shayun’s Bell Tower is located in Liuxingshe in Nanao Township, Yilan County. The Atayal traditional name for the place is Lyoxing, which means bird’s nest fern that grew there. Due to the geographical location, it restricted the only passage to the Lanyang Plains from the Klesan mountainous area.  It is also the main pass to the east coast. Since the Qing Dynasty, it has always been the country’s most important battlefield. In fact, in the middle of the Japanese rule, the Government-General in Taiwan vigorously promoted the emperor’s movement and began to plan and operate the story of Shayun’s Bell. The Liuxingshe was the origin of the story, and the ruins of the bell stand can still be seen today.