Xiang Tian Lake Introduction
Located in Donghe Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County, there are currently over twenty households with a population of about two hundred people, making it the largest village of the Saisiyat people. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, this area was originally a lake. The ancient inhabitants named it Xiang Tian Lake, or Yáng Tiān Hú, because they looked up at the sky while gazing upon the lake. Later, due to the erosion of a tributary of the Dadong River cutting through the lake shore, the water drained away, leaving behind a fertile lakebed that became a basin in the mountains. The indigenous people who moved here converted it into farmland. Xiang Tian Lake is situated at an elevation of 738 meters, bordered to the southeast by the ridge of Guangtian Mountain and Luchang, to the southwest by Penglai Village, and to the northwest by the villages of Nanjing and Donghe. Guangtian Mountain is a branch of the Central Mountain Range, with the eastern side steeply carved by the Dadong River and rising sharply; whereas the western slope is gentle and broad. Xiang Tian Lake is located in the hillside on the west side, with terraced fields spread throughout the basin, surrounded by cedar forests, mixed woodlands, and bamboo groves, creating a lush green environment. Due to the higher elevation, it frequently experiences mist during the winter and spring, with ethereal white clouds, resembling a fairyland. Xiang Tian Lake holds a biannual festival and a major festival every ten years known as the "Ailin Festival," which has profound historical significance and an air of primitive mystery, making it the most important festival for the Saisiyat people. The Ailin Festival takes place around the 15th day of the lunar calendar's tenth month every other year, lasting for four days and three nights. The Saisiyat hope that visitors come with reverence and respect for indigenous culture to witness the event and work together to preserve the original form of the Ailin Festival. Origin of the Ailin Festival: In ancient times, short black men, who stood less than one meter tall and were skilled in many ways, taught the Saisiyat people farming and ritual practices, enabling them to acquire stable living skills. During the harvest season each year, the Saisiyat people would invite the short black men into their village to celebrate their prosperity. Gradually, the invited black men began to act inappropriately towards the Saisiyat women. During one harvest festival, the Saisiyat devised a trap that led to the deaths of the black men. Since then, their harvests did not return to the abundant yields of previous years. To console the deceased black men, the Saisiyat initiated the "Ailin Festival," celebrated in mid-October of the lunar calendar. It has now changed from an annual event to a biannual small festival, with a major festival held every ten years.
