Judgment Day had once been cast in Taitung. A tsunami was sent as a punishment that destroyed the community of an ancient civilization thousands of years ago. Survivors of the Chilin Culture moved upwards to Mt. Dulan to rebuild their homes on what is considered to be a holy mountain for the modern day Amis tribe. This mountain is not only an important archeological site. There is also an intriguing canal nearby where the water run upwards. The third day of my Taitung Special focused about the story of this mountain and its surroundings. The sites were very interesting and perfect for the “Legends” concept of my travel adventure.
 |
 |
| A stone wall which resembles either a head or a torso. |
 |
| sarcophagus |
 |
| stone wall |
 |
| another stone wall |
Megalithic structures can be found deep inside its forest. A sarcophagus or a stone coffin served as a reminder that people from the Neolithic Periods regarded Mt. Dulan as an important place on their lives. Aside from the sarcophagus there were also three stone walls located 300 meters from the stone coffin. Scholars argued that they were used for special ceremonies as pieces of stone tools and pots were gathered around these stone walls. The stone walls and the sarcophagus were simply described as the Dulan Sites and you can easily find them by walking along Yuanshan Industry Road. Just ignore the aggressive dogs that will bark at you.
 |
| preserved archaelogical site in Bienan Culture Park |
 |
| The giant slab of slate located a few meters from the Beinan prehistoric site. |
Based on carbon dating Mt. Dulan was believed to be populated between 2,000 and 5,000 years ago and the established civilization here was younger than the Changbin Culture that had lived in the caves of Baxiandong 30,000 to 50,000 years earlier than our present time. The relics of the Chilin Culture were found to be within the same timeframe to the archaeological site discovered at the back of Taitung Station. It was called the Beinan Culture and was first dug by the Japanese anthropologist Torii Ryuzo. There were a lot of slate coffins that were found here in the present Bienan Culture Park. The coffins were laid down to the ground and pointing towards Mt. Dulan which added more to its mystery. I investigated this archeological site before heading to Dulan town and I found out that the Beinan Culture shared a common characteristic with the Chilin Culture in Dulan Mountain. A few meters from the Beinan prehistoric site was a giant slab of slate which functions for special ceremonies which was something similar to the stone walls discovered in Mt. Dulan.
 |
| at the Amis Folk Center |
 |
| “Pisalisinan a Loma” |
The Beinan Culture and Chilin Culture already disappeared a long time ago but their descendants continued their life in Taitung. Modern day tribes have scattered along the east coast of Taiwan with the Amis folk as the biggest group among them. They had always believed that Mt. Dulan was the home of their god and I've meet some of these aboriginal people in the Amis Folk Center in Chenggong Township. Although the cultural attraction was no longer part of the holy mountain, their tribal houses were replicated here and given importance by the East Coast National Scenic Area administration. It was really interesting to see their homes and they were like giant nipa huts. The doors were a bit small and the edge of the roof was too low that I had to lower my head when entering each house to prevent any injury. A normal house has the soil as the ground floor while the elegant home of a priest called the “Pisalisinan a Loma” has a bamboo floor. I also had fun playing their musical instruments and if you come at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm you can hear them perform a melodious tribal music.
 |
| I bought my archery ticket from this store inside the Amis Folk Center. |
 |
| The Amis woman who taught me how to shoot an arrow. |
Arrows were flying high in their archery range. I bought a ticket worth NTD 60 to participate in the fun activity and an Amis woman guided me on how to aim my target. She told me to point my arrow upwards rather than aiming it to my target directly. I stretched the string of my bow and then I released it creating a projectile motion that almost made a bull's eye. My visit to the Amis Folk Center made me realized how Taiwan gave so much respect to its aboriginal people. Formosa is their ancestral homeland and they were already here even before the Han Chinese populated the island.
 |
| “water running upwards” scenic area |
 |
| The whole area was slanted and the movement of water on the hill was just an optical illusion. |
If you want to see Mt. Dulan you can just board a Taiwan Tour Bus and alight at Dulan Sugar Factory to get into the town proper. The sugar factory is now an art gallery and one of the must-see destinations in Taitung aside from the 1,190 meter high holy mountain. There is a hiking trail in Mt. Dulan but for those looking for odd things there is the “water running upwards” scenic area where a boring canal was turned into a tourist attraction. I looked closely at the flow of the water on this canal and I was surprised that it was really running upwards. The recommended time for seeing this tourist attraction was only 2 minutes but I spent time investigating the cause of the phenomenon. I picked one fallen leaf and dropped it on the canal. I followed it as it floats on the drainage and surprisingly I didn’t feel that I was walking upwards. Standing on the car park, I noticed that the land was sloping downwards while the canal was inclined in the opposite direction. Overall, the whole area was slanted and the movement of water on the hill was just an optical illusion.
 |
| Inside the premises of a restaurant was this cliff with a nice view of the Pacific Ocean. I just found this place while walking along the highway towards the direction of the Dulan Sites from the "water running upwards" scenic area. |
 |
| Tunglo Bridge in the town of Donghe |
 |
| The modern red bridge was behind me. |
 |
| There was this beautiful river below Tunglo Bridge. |
 |
| There were also people doing kayaking. |
 |
| But I also had some time to enjoy the old bridge... |
 |
| ....especially if trees nearby have fruits as big as these |
Mt. Dulan is connected to a series of mountains where it ends in Donghe Township. A mighty river cuts the Coastal Mountain Range where it continues again to Chenggong Township. I had been travelling back and forth in the east coast of Taitung for three days and I had always noticed people alighting at the town of Donghe. They were actually going to the famous Tunglo Bridge to enjoy the view of a beautiful gorge. The old bridge was built during the Japanese colonial era of Taiwan and had been preserved as another cultural treasure of Taitung. Cars no longer passed here since a modern red bridge was already built along Highway 11. I took photos of myself with the Tunglo Bridge as the background and the danger of being hit by a passing car excited me as I stood on the shaky iron bridge with my tripod standing on the highway.
The legends that I collected around Mt. Dulan were already enough that I decided to go back to Taitung City. I boarded the last bus of the Taiwan Tour Bus and as it traveled along Highway 11 I made a final look at the Mt. Dulan and said a little prayer. I thanked the gods who lived there and protected me throughout my trip. Tranquil and mysterious. Mt. Dulan was really a divine mountain.
PLACES TO VISIT IN TAITUNG (台東) - EAST RIFT VALLEY (花東縱谷)
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2025 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
 |
| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
0 comments:
Post a Comment