Gulou Village Introduction
Gulou Village is the largest indigenous settlement in Taiwan from the Japanese colonial period, located on a mountain slope at an altitude of 1,000 meters. Even after reaching the plains, it still retains a strong traditional Paiwan culture. The five-year festival of Gulou Village has endured over time due to competition. The oldest chief family, Jiling, faced challenges from the emerging Tsuilufukan family during the Japanese occupation, leading both sides to develop their factions that competed against each other during important rituals. As a result, while other villages were losing their traditions, the five-year festival in Gulou became increasingly grander. The Bamboo Pole Festival, also known as the five-year festival, is the most important ceremony for the Paiwan people. Originally held every three years, it was established based on an agreement between the Paiwan ancestors, Limoki, and the creation goddess, Telangg, to meet every three years, known as the "Covenant Festival between Humans and Gods." Ten days before each ceremony, shamans would divine the auspicious time, using the smoke from burning millet stalks as a bridge for the ancestral spirits to descend and meet with the tribe. Currently, this ritual is still preserved only in Gulou Village of Laiyi Township in Pingtung County and Toubanshan Village in Daren Township of Taitung County.
