Gulou Village Introduction
Gulou Village is the largest indigenous settlement in Taiwan from the Japanese colonial period, located on the slopes of high mountains at an elevation of 1,000 meters. Even in the lowlands, it maintains a strong traditional Paiwan culture. The longevity of Gulou Village's five-year festival can be attributed to competition. The oldest chieftain family, the Jiling, faced challenges from the emerging Tsuiluokan family during the Japanese occupation, leading both sides to form factions that competed during important ceremonies. While other tribes were losing their traditions, Gulou's five-year festival became more grand each time. 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 stems from the pact made between their ancestor, Limokit, and the goddess of creation, Derangge, to meet every three years, known as the "Covenant Festival." Ten days before each ceremony, a shaman would divine the timing, using the smoke from burning millet stalks as a bridge to summon ancestral spirits to meet with the tribe. Currently, only Gulou Village in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County, and Toubanshan Village in Daren Township, Taitung County, still preserve this ritual.
