The traditional distribution of the Atayal tribe is located in the mid-northern mountain areas of Taiwan, including the northern part of Puli and Hualien. The population at present is approximatly 84,849, which is the biggest of the aboriginal tribes apart from the Amis. The traditional life style of the Atayal is hunting and farming, and their materials are distinguished for their complicated weaving techniques. The color of the cloth is delicate in which the red color, symbolizing blood, is vital for keeping away evil. Tattoos on the face is another one of the Atayal customs, while the ancestral workship group is mainly responsible for maintaining social organization.
Saisiyat
Saisiyat museum
The Saisiyat are the smallest of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes in terms of population and area. They are surrounded and strongly influenced by Hakkas and the Atayal, and were the first among the tribes to be acculturated by the Han Chinese and adopt Chinese names. Like the Atayal, tattooing was also a feature of the Saisiyat.
The Saisiyat in Miaoli County continue to observe a unique rite, the Ceremony of the Dwarfs, or Pastaai, once every two years in November. According to legend, a group of three-foot tall, dark-skinned dwarfs once taught the Saisiyat to farm, sing, and dance, but also harassed and threatened the Saisiyat women. The Saisiyat retaliated by inviting the dwarfs to a ceremony and then pushing them into a ravine as they crossed a narrow footbridge. The original purpose of the ceremony was to appease the souls of these dwarfs.
Hakka Culture
Hakkas
Hakka people originally inhabited the north of China (Shansi, Honan and Hupeh provinces) before five nomadic tribes invaded from the far north and forced them to move south. Given their migratory past, southern residents referred to them as "Hakka" (meaning "guests"). Coming from Chaochou and Meihsien in Kuangtung province, Taiwan's Hakka people now mostly dwell in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli in the north, and Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Meinung in the south.
Highly adaptable, the e every place home. They are a hardworking, thrifty, determined people, known for their social solidarity based on cooperation and a refusal to forget their roots. Hakkas emphasize Chinese tradition, as seen in their love of books and education. Well-established scholars are their role models.
Fukien culture
Architecture of Fukien style
Most of the Han Chinese immigrants came from Fukien and Kuangtung provinces. And up to 80% of them were from Changchou and Chuanchou in Fukien, so the Fukienese culture was prevalent in Taiwan and its dialect became the most widely-spoken form of "Taiwanese."
People from the same village usually stayed in their own community, which inherited the old place name and religion. Immigrants stayed together in times of religious celebration; therefore, the temples became centers for all forms of communal social activity. Different communities enshrined different deities; for instance, people from Changchou honored their founding father while those from Chuanchou worshiped Bodhisattva and Matsu, Goddess of the Sea.
Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Administration All rights reserved Now Time：2008/11/22 18:00(UTC/GMT+8hours)
Atayal 
