Jiuwa Bay Tribe Introduction
Jiu Fa Wan Tribal Village is the ancestral origin of the Paiwan and Rukai peoples, located in a mountainous area at an elevation of over 800 meters. It enjoys a geographic advantage with its position overlooking the sea and neighboring the She Lu Tribal Village, Hao Cha Tribal Village, and Gao Yan Tribal Village across the Ai Liao South River. In the distance lies the sacred mountain of the Paiwan people, "Dawu Mountain," which not only protects against foreign invasions but also serves as a beautiful and secluded place. In the early days, the Jiu Fa Wan Tribal Village consisted of about 100 households. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese forced the indigenous residents of the Gao Yan and She Lu tribes to relocate to Jiu Fa Wan. After the end of the war, the Nationalist government resettled residents from the three tribal groups to present-day Maja Village, Fa Wan Village, and Bei Ye Village, leading to the renaming of the original village as the Jiu Fa Wan Tribal Village. The declining Jiu Fa Wan and She Lu tribes ended up with only a few households, and the more remote Gao Yan tribe has long been uninhabited. Although the Jiu Fa Wan Tribal Village has been relocated, a small number of indigenous people still inhabit the area. They work the land alongside their relocated kin, cultivating areca nuts, millet, sweet potatoes, and tree beans. Because they continue to live here, Jiu Fa Wan Tribal Village has preserved more than a dozen intact slate houses. To prevent the village culture from fading away, the villagers have come together to initiate a reconstruction effort. After reorganization, the Jiu Fa Wan Tribal Village has not only restored the appearance of the slate houses but also paved slate pathways within the village, allowing visitors to follow the paths to view the worship grounds, driftwood pavilions, exhibition barns, and roasting racks for yams, experiencing the beauty of the original indigenous culture.
