Kaidagelan Cultural Center Introduction
The Ketagalan Culture Center records the historical context related to the Pingpu people, as well as contemporary indigenous art and artifacts. In addition to hot springs, Beitou has a unique indigenous atmosphere. The name "Beitou" is transliterated from the Ketagalan language, meaning "witch," and it was the living source of the Ketagalan people over four hundred years ago. To preserve and promote indigenous cultural arts, the Ketagalan Culture Center was newly constructed by the Taipei City Government's Indigenous Peoples Affairs Commission in November 2002. The entire building is designed to showcase indigenous cultural arts, providing urban indigenous people with a dedicated space for cultural transmission and skill training. In front of the culture center, a row of wooden stakes stands by the roadside, decorated with various expressive tin sculptures, symbolizing group integration with hand-holding gestures, representing that we are all one family in this indigenous installation art. Each floor inside is themed and exhibits are arranged along lively and engaging pathways, presenting the historical and cultural context of indigenous peoples, making it a recreational spot for close encounters with indigenous culture. The main building, ten stories high, features an exterior of distinctively staggered slate materials, resembling a house that seems to breathe, with a strong minimalist design that resonates with the surrounding hot spring hotels and Beitou Hot Springs Park. The bright and spacious first-floor lobby, adorned with colorful tribal woven totem tiles, welcomes visitors into the embrace of the tribe; historical stone carvings and striking wooden sculptures are captivating, with various hunting tools hanging on the walls, allowing one to imagine the traditional lives of indigenous peoples chasing water deer and wild boar. Every scene and object within the culture center allows visitors to feel the footprints of indigenous life! Floors one to three not only exhibit significant collections of indigenous artifacts and Pingpu groups but also serve as spaces for performances, events, gatherings, and skill training centers, helping urban indigenous people bond emotionally as a community. The culture center also provides reading services with indigenous-themed books, with a diverse collection that enhances visitors' appreciation and understanding of indigenous cultural arts, inspiring students to explore and learn about diverse ethnic groups. Taiwan's majestic mountains and plains nurture a rich tapestry of indigenous cultures, and the Ketagalan Culture Center preserves its rituals, festivals, and customs related to nature worship, allowing visitors to learn about the earliest inhabitants of Taiwan, the indigenous peoples, and their many astonishing ancestral wisdoms. If lucky, one might even encounter indigenous groups dressed in traditional attire meeting or performing within the culture center, showcasing their pure passion. Since its opening, the Ketagalan Culture Center has hosted numerous series of indigenous cultural events and traditional handicraft exhibitions, and many works by indigenous artists are showcased here, merging the ancestral home with the urban, tradition with modernity, embodying the significant meaning of the culture center. Taiwan's diverse ethnic groups have developed vibrant colors of culture; the culture center is not only a treasure trove of indigenous cultural collections but also a multifunctional training center for indigenous cultural arts. Located in the New Beitou Hot Springs area, after experiencing rich culture and arts, visitors might stroll through the misty hot spring town to continue exploring the traces of the Ketagalan people!