The Rukais of Wutai (Wutai Scenic Area)

Wutai is a mountain township in southern Taiwan's Pingtung County. It includes various villages such as Yilan, Chuwu, Ali, Jaimu, Dawu, and Haocha. The area is called the "holy land of the Rukai Tribe", and is the largest and most important Rukai settlement in Taiwan.

Wutai Scenic Area is situated about 1,000 meters above sea level, among the forested peaks of Mt Dawu, in the southernmost end of the Central Mountain range. The area is pleasantly cool, with an average year-round temperature of 17 to 18 degrees Celsius. It is frequently shrouded in swirling white mists, which add an air of mystery to its already enchanting scene.

Local and international visitors with a fondness for aboriginal culture should make an effort to come to the Wutai Scenic Area in mid-August, for the annual harvest festival. The festival features a series of activities, including singing and dancing, swinging contests, throwing competitions, evening parties, and ritual ceremonies. Evidence of the richness of the Rukai culture is seen here in traditional slate houses, the hundred-pacer snake totems, and other artifacts. The hundred-pacer is the ancestral symbol of the Rukais, so these snakes appear together with human beings in the wood and stone scupltures that one can see in abundance in Wutai.

There is no better way to gain an insight into Rukai aboriginal culture than to take a trip to the Wutai Scenic Area. Because this village is situated in a restricted mountain area, one has to get an A-class mountain permit at the Pingtung county Police Department before setting out.