Sabouyu Village Introduction
Sapulju tribe is located in Xinxing Village, Jin Feng Township, Taitung County. It is a Taroko Plains Indigenous tribe surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on one side, facing the Pacific Ocean. To the south lies the Dawang tribe in Taimali Township, to the north is the Lubakaz tribe in Taimali Township, to the east is the Pacific Ocean, and to the west is Jinzhenshan. The area is tranquil, and its old name was "Sapulu" (SA PU LU), which was renamed "Lubakate" after Taiwan's retrocession, translated into Mandarin as "Xinxing tribe." Before 1950, the Sapulju tribe was part of the territory of the Lubaka tribe in Taimali Township, designated as a hunting prohibition area. The tribal members referred to this territory as Sapulju, which in Paiwan language means "lonely, desolate land." The Sapulju tribe consists of four major tribes and eight families. The four major tribes are "Jiubinmiao tribe," "Budun tribe," "Jinhuang tribe," and "Skardo tribe." In the old Jiubinmiao tribe on South Dawu Mountain, there are two families: "Bafafalu family" and "Gushacha family." The Budun tribe on North Dawu Mountain is represented by the "Luofanaiyao family." The Jinhuang tribe on South Dawu Mountain has four families: "Delunafnaku," "Jiniulugu," "Jiujiaasi family," and "Dufeilong family." The Skardo tribe has the "Skardo family," combining to form the eight major chiefs of the Sapulju tribe. Starting from the entrance of Xinxing Elementary School, visitors are welcomed by a series of murals and stone slab paintings that lead them into the world of Indigenous culture. Whether it is the parking shelter, pathways, or restrooms, the walls are adorned with traditional Paiwan totemic art, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Paiwan people. At the traditional stone slab house of the chief in Xinxing Village, one can appreciate the wooden carvings of amateur artist Ganbi and further understand the beauty of Paiwan traditional culture.
