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 people and has long been regarded as a sacred place for the Rukai tribe. The Rukai people possess profound life wisdom and artistic culture, typically expressed through slate houses, stone carvings, embroidery, and weaving crafts. Notably, the slate houses, constructed from local stone materials, are manually chiseled and built, providing a cool and comfortable living environment that the Rukai people take great pride in. Wutai Slate Alley is the best place to experience the essence of Rukai culture. The pedestrian walkway, paved with slab stones, gradually ascends in line with the mountain terrain and encompasses the Rukai Museum, the Catholic Church, and Wutai Elementary School, following the path of the hundred-step snake. The railing of the walkway is uniquely adorned with traditional pottery. If you look closely, you may find that the surface of the pottery is engraved with patterns of the hundred-step snake and various designs, each carrying individual meanings. For instance, triangular patterns represent mountains and rivers, horizontal lines signify rivers, and circles denote unity. Additionally, at the entrances of various alleys, diamond patterns of the hundred-step snake painted in red, yellow, black, and white colors can be seen, mainly serving as a replacement for crosswalks, which is quite an interesting design. Along the way, many patterns of lilies can also be observed, which, according to Rukai legends, are related to the origin of their ancestors and hold a sacred status. Essentially, for Rukai women to wear a complete lily decoration, they must undergo a marriage ceremony or a flower-purchasing ritual. The so-called complete lily decoration is complemented by a red golden phoenix flower. The flower-purchasing ritual refers to unmarried women, who, when financially capable, choose a date to slaughter pigs, brew alcohol, and make rice cakes as offerings to the tribal chief to obtain the right to wear flowers, making it one of the important life rituals for Rukai women. Walking through the alleys, one can easily perceive totemic designs rich in cultural significance, pottery, slate houses, slate sculptures, blacksmith shops, and bronze craft workshops, which vividly display the high talent and confidence of the Rukai people in artistic creation, allowing for a deeper appreciation of the unique charm of Rukai artistic culture.
