Join the Tribal Learning Workshop in East Rift Valley Festival
The “East Rift Valley Festival” starts from the East Longitudinal Valley tribes, embarking on a
journey of profound exploration, inviting everyone to enter the tribes. Through life
experiences, the festival helps you get to know the tribes, and through culinary adventures, it
allows you to explore their cultures. The “East Rift Valley Festival” offers various types of
tribal experiences, inviting everyone to embark on a sensory journey.
Indulge in the “Tribal Food Paradise” and savor the aesthetics of food while enjoying a
gastronomic tour of the tribes. Or embark on a “Taste of Native Cuisines: The Journey to Tribal
Villages,” where you can explore the tribes through their flavors. Alternatively, you can choose
to participate in the “Tribal Learning Workshop” and acquire the wisdom of tribal life while
working together to build tribal dreams.
With a continuous focus on the local culture, the “East Rift Valley Festival” is creating a
regional brand for East Longitudinal Valley tribal experiences. In 2021, it was honored with the
Japanese Good Design Award in the “Initiative and Activity for Regional” category, aiming to
expand international exchanges in the future, making the tribes and the Hualien-Taitung Valley
more visible to the world.
Taste local products x local cuisine x cultural landscapes = The essence of tribal tourism in the East Longitudinal Rift Valley.
Amidst the flickering and smoky dance of the campfire, a story unfolds. The tale emerges gently,
like the ebb and flow of the firelight, as it is spoken by the elders in low, resonant tones.
The swirling smoke weaves around, and the world’s chaos recedes. The myth is carried by the smoky
tendrils, finding its way to the listeners. The stories and legends that take root in the heart
provide courage, strengthen the legacy, and wrap around like an enduring, subtle fragrance,
lingering on one’s being for many days. This lingering fragrance serves as evidence that someone has
been touched by the myth, by the story, warmly enveloped from head to toe. Those who hear the story
walk into it and carry it with them.
Hailing from the Alang Ciyakang Tribe in Wanrong Township, Hualien County, “Akay Playlife” is a youth-driven initiative deeply rooted in cultural and historical research. With a long-term commitment to community development, ethnic education, and leisure tourism, this team of passionate young individuals combines diverse media to design cultural experiential activities and itineraries. Through tribal life experiences, they aim to narrate the unique story of the Alang Ciyakang Tribe.
The name “Lamit” in the Amis language signifies “tree root.” Hailing from the outhernmost Cilamitay Tribe in Hualien, “Lamit Palafalan” finds its inspiration in the tree roots and, like these roots, firmly establishes itself in the land. Its mission is to preserve and propagate Amis culture. From cuisine to architecture, language to melodies, soil to rivers, Lamit translates Amis daily life into tribal experiences, inviting everyone to explore the charm of Cilamitay.
“Huazi,” a Bunun brand originating from Zhuoxi Township in southern Hualien County, aims to “share the goodness of local food with Hualien’s children.” From the process of producing and selling homegrown crops, “Huazi” discovered that processing agricultural products could solve the problem of food preservation and reuse rejected produce. They have condensed seasonal fruits into unique Zhuoxi Jam, offering a taste of “Hualien flavor” to everyone. It allows you to experience the original and unforgettable aroma of Hualien, creating beautiful taste memories that begin with Huazi.
Located in the tribe at the foot of the mountain of Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, known as “ci Alupalan,” which translates to “a place with many persimmons,” this tribe’s young members harness local resources. They use indigenous persimmons as dye, combining traditional tribal craftsmanship to create exquisite handmade indigenous crafts. Named after “alupal” (small persimmons), “ALUPALAN” has developed the unique tribal craft. It melds the artisan spirit of the tribe’s craftsmanship with high-quality products, using their hands to remember and pass down the art of persimmon dyeing through every touch.
Elug is a local performing arts group from Tongmen Village in Shlin Township, Hualien County. The name “Elug” comes from the Taroko language; the group hopes to introduce people to the ways of their ancestors through art and culture. Travelers are invited to learn about the cultural industry of the tribes through tours focusing on cultural history, arts and crafts, and traditional cuisine.
“Wusay Lemon” is both about friendliness and sustainability and is also the story of a family from the Langas village in Ruisui Township, Hualien County. Aniw, a third-generation young farmer, returned home to look after the ancestral lands and together with his mother Wusay, focused his efforts on eco-friendly cultivation of lemons, adopting his mother’s name as the brand name. “Wusay Lemon” is a saga of an Amis family, lemons, and the land.
Vist Sinkan Village in Zhuoxi Township with the youths of Tana Culture on electric bicycles with a sharing heart. Here, you can listen to young people narrate their tribal village, and experience the traditional weaving techniques of the Bunun people. Tana Culture invites travelers to reach out with all of their senses to experience the story of how the Bunun people coexist with the natural wilderness.
