Wutai Stone Slate Settlement Introduction
Wutai Township is the highest township in Pingtung County, with an elevation of about 1,000 meters. It is one of the settlements of the Rukai tribe, often referred to as a sacred place for the Rukai people. The Rukai tribe possesses profound life wisdom and artistic culture, which is usually manifested in stone houses, stone carvings, embroidery, and weaving crafts. The stone houses, constructed from local stone materials cut and assembled by hand, provide a cool and comfortable living space, and are a source of pride for the Rukai people as a distinctive architectural feature. Wutai Stone Slab Lane is the best place to appreciate the essence of Rukai culture. The pedestrian walkway, paved with flat stones, gradually ascends with the mountain and connects the Rukai Museum, the Catholic Church, and Wutai Elementary School within its area, following the path of the venomous snake. The handrail of the walkway is specially adorned with traditional ceramic jars, and upon closer inspection, one may notice that the surface of the jars is etched with patterns of venomous snakes and various designs, each with its own meaning. For instance, triangular patterns represent mountains and rivers, horizontal lines signify rivers, and circles indicate unity. Furthermore, at the entrances of the various lanes, diamond patterns of venomous snakes painted in red, yellow, black, and white appear on the ground, mainly serving to replace crosswalks, which is a very interesting design. In addition, along the way, many patterns of the lily flower can be seen. In Rukai mythology, the lily flower is related to the origin of their ancestors, thus holding a sacred status. Essentially, Rukai women must go through a marriage ceremony or a flower-buying ritual to wear a complete lily flower ornament, which consists of a red peacock flower as well. The flower-buying ritual refers to unmarried women who, when financially able, choose a day to slaughter pigs, brew wine, and make rice cakes as offerings to the tribal leader in order to gain the right to wear flowers, which is one of the important life rituals for Rukai women. Walking through the lanes, one can easily see the vibrant totems, ceramic jars, stone houses, stone sculptures, blacksmith shops, and bronze workshops, making it easy to feel the high talent and confidence that the Rukai people exhibit in artistic creation, while also savoring the unique charm of Rukai artistic culture.
