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Paiwan Aborigines of Taiwan – Photo Gallery

I live on Paiwan land, in the southern part of Taiwan, in Manzhou Township 滿州鄉, Pingtung County 屏東縣. This area is part of the beautiful and renowned Kenting National Park 墾丁國家公園.

Paiwan Aboriginal People of Taiwan 排灣台灣
Image of Paiwan Aboriginal People of Taiwan in traditional outfit

The Paiwan indigenous people of Taiwan are the second-largest indigenous group on Formosa. There are approximately 95,000 Paiwan people. The majority of them live in the southern part of the island.

manzhou township 滿州鄉,台灣
Southern Taiwan is graced by this kind of scenery – perfect for scooter trips and exploration! This river runs through my backyard.

Scooter Trips in Paiwan Country

Whenever the weather isn’t too crazy, my favorite thing to do is to jump on my scooter, camera bag over my shoulder, and ride around the mountains, valleys, and rivers near my house.

scooter trip kenting

There are hundreds of narrow roads heading in all directions all over the region.

paiwan traditional taiwan
Paiwan tribesmen pull bamboo rafts to shore after a fishing expedition.

The best way to explore on a scooter, is to just take a turn whenever it feels right, and follow the road until you see something that catches your eye. Sometimes, the road abruptly ends at a small temple or a farmer’s house with the occasional barking dogs. Often, the asphalt gives way to a muddy dirt track, which can be fun if you’re comfortable on two wheels.

paiwan aboriginal

The best is when the road leads to a Paiwan aboriginal community. Within a 5km radius around my house, there are six buluo 部落 or “tribal communities”. These small Paiwan villages all have a very interesting feature: there are colorful paintings and carvings of ancient aboriginal daily life on display by the road on the outskirts of the settlements.

paiwan native aboriginal
Two Paiwan tribal chiefs seal a peace agreement with drinks.

Over the years, I’ve heard many people complain that this kind of aboriginal Taiwanese “art” is not genuine, that it’s just a cheap, fake reproduction of native traditional art used to lure tourists. It may be true for other places in Taiwan, but this kind of Paiwan art couldn’t be more genuine – it is made by one man who has dedicated his life to his craft and the study of traditional Taiwanese aboriginal life.

paiwan indigenous tribe taiwan

I had the chance to have a conversation with a lady who works as a Paiwan interpretation guide at a protected area 四林格山 and she told me a bit about the artist. His aim is to illustrate ancient Paiwan daily life and traditional ceremonies in pictures, so people can understand more how this aboriginal tribe use living in the past.

Here are some of his paintings, which I photographed in Manzhou and Mudan townships in Pingtung County:

paiwan tribe taiwan
Characters meaning: “At sunrise, pushing the bamboo rafts down to the sea to go fishing.”
puyuma aboriginal taiwan
The Puyuma (Beinan) tribe visits the area to trade.
paiwan aborigine
Burning wood

paiwan aboriginal tribe taiwan

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Filed Under: Taiwanese Culture Tagged With: Manzhou

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Hello, I’m Ugo

ugo taiwanese secretsI’m the weirdo behind this site. I’ve been living in Taiwan since 2000, so basically I’ve spent half my life here. I have a big passion for everything Formosa and I’ve been working on this website since 2008 to share the beauty of Taiwan with the world!

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