Chimi

Chimei (Kiwit) Hamlet
從空中俯瞰奇美部落,部落集中區域為下部落

The Chimei Hamlet is located on the highlands formed by the alluvial river terraces of the Xiuguluan River in Ruisui Township, Hualien County. It is divided into upper and lower hamlets. The upper hamlet was where the tribe first established, while the lower hamlet is where the residents currently live. The traditional name of the Chimei Hamlet is Kiwit, which means crabgrass, because according to legend, there was abundant crabgrass here. However, the Han people pronounced it as Chimi. Until the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan ordered the residents to move from the upper terrace to the lower terrace and renamed it to Chimei. 

In the past, tribal people only used hunting roads or going down the stream to get to the outside world. In the Qing period, General Wu Guangliang built plank roads, which continued to be used during the Japanese occupation. Finally, in 1986, the plank road was widened and built into Ruigang Industry Road.

Lower Chimei (Kiwit) Hamlet
從空中俯瞰奇美下部落,派出所也位於此處

The Chimei Hamlet is located in the highlands formed by the alluvial river terraces of the Xiuguluan River in Ruisui Township, Hualien County. It is divided into upper and lower hamlets. The lower hamlet is where the police station is located, and where Chimei residents currently live. The traditional name of the hamlet is Lanar, which means below, as it is located at the lower level of the Chimei terrace.  Although the terrain is flat, the bottom is mostly sand and gravel. During the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan ordered the residents to move from the upper terrace to the lower terrace due to insufficient water sources.

 

Upper Chimei (Kiwit) Hamlet
從空中俯瞰奇美上部落,學校附近是舊部落位置

The Chimei Hamlet is located on the highlands formed by the alluvial river terraces of the Xiuguluan River in Ruisui Township, Hualien County. It is divided into upper and lower hamlets. The Upper Chimei Hamlet is located on the east side of the current Chimei Elementary School. It is about 100 meters above sea level and was where the hamlet first established. The traditional name of the place is Lingpawan, which means above. During the Japanese occupation, the people living in the Upper Chimei Hamlet migrated to the lower terraces. At present, about 20 households still live in the upper hamlet, though most of them are recent immigrants, including Bunun, Amis and Han people.

Upper Chimei (Kiwit) Terrace
從空中俯瞰奇美上臺地,左上可見瑞港公路橫越

The Upper Chimei Terrace is located on the highland south of the river terrace formed by the alluvial Xiuguluan River in Ruisui Township, Hualien County. It is the main location of the Chimei hamlet. A large number of cultural relic pottery of the Jingpu hamlet have been found behind the present Chimei Elementary School. Hence, the site is presumably the Nalomann hamlet, where the ancestors lived.

The traditional name of the place is Kiwit, which means crabgrass because according to legend, crabgrass was abundant here. However, the Han people misinterpreted Kiwit as Chi-mi, which means a peculiar and mysterious place. In the Japanese Occupation period, the place was renamed to Chimei.

In the past, tribal people only used hunting roads or going down the stream to get to the outside world. In the Qing period, General Wu Guangliang built plank roads, which continued to be used during the Japanese occupation. Finally, in 1986, the plank road was widened and built into Ruigang Industry Road (also known as Hualien County Road 64).