Wutai Stone Slab Settlement Introduction
Wutai Township is the highest township in Pingtung County, with an elevation of about 1,000 meters. It is one of the villages of the Rukai people, often referred to as a sacred land of the Rukai tribe. The Rukai people possess profound wisdom in their lifestyle and artistic culture, which is usually manifested in slate houses, stone carvings, embroidery, and weaving crafts. Especially noteworthy are the slate houses, constructed from local stone materials through manual cutting and carving, providing a cool and comfortable living environment, making it a proud architectural feature of the Rukai people. Wutai Slate Alley is the best place to experience the essence of Rukai culture. The pedestrian pathway is paved with slate and gradually ascends along the mountain slope, encompassing the Rukai Cultural Museum, a Catholic church, and Wutai Elementary School within its vicinity, following the path of the bamboo viper. The railing of the pedestrian path is uniquely adorned with traditional ceramic pots, and if one looks closely, they might find that the surface of the pots is engraved with patterns of bamboo vipers and various designs, each carrying its own significance. For instance, triangular patterns represent mountains and rivers, horizontal lines symbolize rivers, and circles signify unity. In addition, at the entrances of each alley, diamond patterns of bamboo vipers painted in red, yellow, black, and white can be seen, mainly serving as a replacement for zebra crossings, which is a very interesting design. Furthermore, along the way, many lily flower patterns can be observed; in Rukai legends, the lily flower is associated with the origin of their ancestors, hence holding a sacred status. Essentially, Rukai women must go through a marriage ceremony or a flower-buying ritual to wear a complete lily flower adornment, which means pairing it with a red golden phoenix flower. The flower-buying ritual refers to unmarried women, provided with economic means, selecting a day to slaughter pigs, brew wine, and make rice cakes to present to the tribal chief, which grants them the right to wear flowers—this is one of the significant life rituals for Rukai women. Walking through the alleys, one can easily appreciate the rich cultural colors present in totems, ceramic pots, slate houses, slate sculptures, blacksmith shops, and bronze craft workshops. It is not hard to feel the high talent and confidence exhibited by the Rukai people in artistic creation while also savoring the unique charm of Rukai artistic culture.
