Joufan Community Introduction
The Old Fawan Village is the ancestral home of the Paiwan and Rukai peoples, located in the mountainous area at an elevation of over 800 meters. It enjoys a geographical advantage of being situated in the mountains overlooking the sea, and is neighboring the Shelu and Haocha villages across the Nanki River. In the distance is the sacred mountain of the Paiwan people, Mount Dawu, which not only helps to defend against external invasions but also offers a remote and beautiful landscape. In the early days, there were about 100 households in Fawan Village. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese authorities forced the indigenous peoples of the nearby Gaoyan and Shelu villages to relocate to Fawan Village. After the retrocession of Taiwan, the Nationalist government relocated the residents of the three tribal groups to the present-day Maju Village, Fawan Village, and Beiye Village, leading to the renaming of the original village to Old Fawan Village. The dwindling Old Fawan and Shelu villages ultimately had only a few households remaining, while the more remote Gaoyan Village is now uninhabited. Although Old Fawan Village has already been relocated elsewhere, a few indigenous people continue to reside here. They work in the mountains alongside their relocated relatives, cultivating betel nuts, millet, yams, and tree beans. Because they still live here, Old Fawan Village has preserved over ten intact slate houses. To prevent the village culture from declining and disappearing, the villagers have come together in a collaborative effort to rebuild the village. After the renovation, the appearance of the slate houses has been restored, and slate pathways have been laid within the village. Visitors can follow these paths to explore the ritual grounds, driftwood pavilions, showcasing granaries, and display racks for roasted yams, experiencing the beauty of primitive indigenous culture.
