Maple Leaf Village Introduction
In this quiet little village lies a proud history. In 1968, the children of the Bunun tribe in Hongye Village formed the Hongye Little League team, defeating the then-world champion team from Japan, which sparked a wave of interest in Little League baseball in Taiwan and ensured that the Hongye Little League team would go down in history. Besides Little League, Hongye Village is also notable for being designated by the Council of Agriculture as the "Taitung Hongye Village Taitung Cycad Nature Reserve." Initially, the unique Taitung cycads were mistakenly identified as the commonly known cycad tree, but after verification by experts, it was discovered to be a living fossil that has developed for more than 140 million years, hence renamed as Taitung cycad. The Shier Festival in April is the most grand and important ceremony for the Bunun tribe throughout the year. Here, one can witness a complete process of blessings, the Shier ritual, pork distribution, rifle rituals, and war merit reporting. Most importantly, the world-renowned Bunun eight-part harmony is performed here in the most authentic way.
