Xiangtian Lake Introduction
Located in Donghe Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County, it currently has over twenty households with a population of about two hundred, making it the largest village of the Saisiyat tribe. Legend has it that several hundred years ago, this area was originally a lake. People named it Xiangtian Lake, also known as Yanglei Lake, because they would look up at the sky when they saw the lake. Later, the tributary of the Dadu River eroded the lake shore and drained the water, leaving behind fertile lakebed soil, which became a basin in the mountains. The indigenous people who moved here converted it into farmland. Xiangtian Lake is situated at an altitude of 738 meters, bordered by the Gantian Mountain Ridge to the southeast and Luchang to the southwest, while it connects to Penglai Village to the southwest and is flanked by Nanjing Village and Donghe Village to the northwest. Gantian Mountain is a sub-ridge of the Jiali Mountain Range, with steep cliffs formed by the erosion of the Dadu River on the eastern side, while the western side has gentler slopes and a wider ridge. Xiangtian Lake is nestled within the western mountain, with terraced fields sprawling across the basin, surrounded by cedar forests, mixed woodlands, and bamboo groves, exuding lush greenery. Due to its higher elevation, it often shrouded in fog during the winter and spring, with white clouds drifting, creating an ethereal atmosphere. Xiangtian Lake hosts a ritual every two years and a grand ceremony once every ten years known as the "Ailing Festival," which carries profound historical significance and an air of primitive mystique, making it the most important festival for the Saisiyat people. The Ailing Festival is held around the 15th day of the 10th month in the lunar calendar, lasting for four days and three nights. The Saisiyat people hope that visitors will ascend the mountain with reverence and respect for indigenous culture, and together strive to preserve the original form of the Ailing Festival. Origin of the Ailing Festival: In ancient times, the black dwarfs, who were less than one meter tall and possessed various skills, taught the Saisiyat people methods of farming and rituals, granting them stable livelihood skills. Every year during the harvest season, the Saisiyat people would invite the black dwarfs to the village to celebrate their harvest. Gradually, the invited black dwarfs exhibited improper behavior towards Saisiyat women. During one harvest festival, the Saisiyat people set traps, leading to the deaths of the black dwarfs. From then on, their harvests were no longer as abundant as in previous years. To console the deceased black dwarfs, they held the "Ailing Festival," which takes place in mid-October of the lunar calendar, now changed from an annual to a biennial smaller festival and once a decade for a larger festival.
