Sandimen Village

In 1935, Japanese put Timor Talavatsal and Salalau (Parilario clan, Paiwan tribe) groups into this Sandimen village. The Southern Paiwan of Mutan Hsiang are famous historically. The Japanese invaded Taiwan during the Tongzhi Reign of the Qing Dynasty instigating the Mutanshe Incident, which escalated into an international incident. The Pwainzu were heroic in their resistance of the Japanese. The Paiwan of Manchou Hsiang were deeply influenced culturally by the Chinese and Ami due to the proximity of their cultures.

The long-shaped millet dumplings with leaves is called Avai-A-Kinpelj which is the most prestigious food in the Paiwan culture and it also could be made by Taros. DC loves that BBQ smoke wild pork. It tastes so good with small millet wine. A slice of lemon brings out the sweetness. A bite of pork with green onion & chopped garlic with a sip of cold small millet wine makes life completed. Afterward, a decent coffee puts a pefect ending on this Paiwan lunch.

We can see containers and decorations in Paiwan style in any Paiwan settlements, including glass beads, pottery pots, wood carvings and sabers. They are all typical artworks of Paiwan people. Moreover, many traditional arts of tribe are the products out of everyday lives. Therefore, many articles are related to everyday lives. A combination of the spiritual and material civilizations is a striking feature of the Paiwan society. For Paiwan people, it is the wisdom that passes down from one generation to another.

Though they are disposed of by the environment, they can make full use of the enviroment. People living on high mountains practiced hunting. The slash-and-burn technique was the major practice of many aboriginal tribes on the island. Incomes from crops were the major source of living. Animal raising was the sideline job of the family. In this case, they were living in a kind of self-contain style, without a clear classification of occupation, i.e. exchange economics did not exist. They lived in a smiple and primitive way. They has strong living capacity, with less concern for the quality of food, clothing and housing. To meet the basic human demands for survival was what early Paiwan people asked for. Amoungst all Indonesian tribes, aboriginal tribes in Taiwan have the least influence of foreign religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islamd and Christianty. Most of them still believe in their own religions.