Taiwan's remote, beautiful southeast — the most Indigenous county, of balloons over the rift valley, rice paddies by the Pacific, and two famous islands offshore.
台灣偏遠而美麗的東南角——原住民比例最高的縣,有飛越縱谷的熱氣球、太平洋畔的稻田,與外海兩座著名的島嶼。
Taitung (臺東, "Taiwan East") is Taiwan's remote southeastern county — for most of history the island's least-developed, least-populated and hardest-to-reach corner. Hemmed in by the Central Mountain Range to the west and the Pacific to the east, it was settled and governed late, and even today its slow pace, clean air and open landscapes are central to its identity. The county runs along a long Pacific coastline, holds the southern half of the East Rift Valley, and governs two famous offshore islands — Green Island and Orchid Island.
臺東(意為「台灣東部」)是台灣偏遠的東南縣份——歷史上長期是全島開發最晚、人口最少、最難抵達的一隅。西有中央山脈阻隔、東臨太平洋,開拓與設治都晚,時至今日,它緩慢的步調、清新的空氣與開闊的地景仍是核心性格。全縣沿著綿長的太平洋海岸延伸,擁有花東縱谷的南半部,並管轄綠島與蘭嶼兩座著名離島。
More than any other county, Taitung is Indigenous Taiwan. It has the highest proportion of Indigenous residents of any county, home to an exceptional range of peoples: the Amis, the Puyuma (卑南族), the Paiwan, the Rukai, the Bunun, the Kavalan, and — uniquely on Orchid Island — the Tao (達悟族, also called Yami), the only Indigenous people of Taiwan whose traditional homeland is an offshore island.
臺東比任何其他縣市都更能代表原住民的台灣。它是全台原住民人口比例最高的縣,族群之豐富罕見:阿美族、卑南族、排灣族、魯凱族、布農族、噶瑪蘭族,以及蘭嶼獨有的達悟族(舊稱雅美族)——達悟族是台灣唯一傳統家園在離島上的原住民族。
Taitung's human story runs astonishingly deep. The Beinan Site (卑南遺址), discovered in 1980 during railway construction, is one of Taiwan's most important prehistoric sites: a settlement of the Beinan Culture roughly 2,300–3,500 years old, which yielded close to 1,600 slate-coffin burials — the largest such complex in the region — and tens of thousands of jade and stone artifacts. It led to the founding of the National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung. Modern Taitung balances farming, fishing and fast-growing tourism: the southern rift valley grows Taiwan's most celebrated rice around Chishang (池上), surfers ride the Pacific at Donghe, and since 2011 the summer skies over the Luye Highland fill with hot-air balloons.
臺東的人文底蘊深得驚人。卑南遺址於 1980 年興建鐵路時被發現,是台灣最重要的史前遺址之一:屬於距今約 2,300 至 3,500 年的卑南文化聚落,出土近 1,600 具石板棺——為該區域規模最大者——與數萬件玉器、石器,並促成國立臺灣史前文化博物館在臺東設立。今日的臺東在農業、漁業與蓬勃觀光間取得平衡:縱谷南段在池上一帶出產全台最受推崇的稻米,衝浪客在東河乘浪,而自 2011 年起,每逢夏季鹿野高台的天空便綴滿熱氣球。
A grassy plateau in Luye, home since 2011 to Asia's signature hot-air balloon fiesta, held every summer. Dozens of balloons rise at dawn and dusk, and evening "night glow" concerts light up the field.
A roughly 2.2-km tree-lined farm road through the Chishang rice paddies, with no power poles to break the view. The lone autumn-maple tree became famous after actor Takeshi Kaneshiro filmed an airline commercial beside it in 2013.
Chishang produces Taiwan's most famous rice, grown in the clean water and wide light of the East Rift Valley. The region is also the home of the classic Chishang lunchbox (池上便當), a railway-bento tradition built on its fragrant rice.
An offshore islet in Chenggong, reached by an iconic eight-arched footbridge that undulates over the sea like a dragon. Its name, "Three Immortals' Platform," comes from a legend that three of the Eight Immortals once landed on its great rocks.
A stretch of dramatically eroded coastal rock just north of Fugang Harbor near Taitung City, where sandstone and shale have weathered into honeycomb, tofu-block and mushroom shapes — a natural sculpture park by the Pacific.
A small volcanic island famed for snorkeling and diving. Its Zhaori Hot Spring is one of only three seawater hot springs in the world. The island also holds the White Terror Green Island Memorial Park, a sobering human-rights memorial on the site of a former political prison.
A volcanic island southeast of Taitung and the home of the Tao (Yami) people, Taiwan's only ocean-based Indigenous culture. It is famous for hand-built tatala plank canoes (made without a single nail), traditional half-underground houses, and its flying-fish culture.
Taiwan's national museum of prehistory and Indigenous cultures, born from the 1980 discovery of the Beinan Site. The nearby archaeological park preserves the site's monolithic stone pillars and exhibits the slate coffins and jade of the 3,000-year-old Beinan Culture.
A live-music and creative-market village in central Taitung City, converted from old railway warehouses. It is a hub of Taiwan's rich Indigenous music scene, with regular evening performances and a weekend "slow market."
Dulan is an Amis village turned artist-and-surf town, a center of "slow living" arts. Nearby Jinzun and Donghe are among Taiwan's best surf breaks, drawing surfers to the warm Pacific year-round.
Taitung's defining treasure is its Indigenous cultures, more concentrated here than anywhere else in Taiwan — feeding a remarkably alive music and arts scene.
The Amis hold their summer Harvest Festival (豐年祭); the Puyuma (卑南族) are famous for their Annual Festival, combining the boys' Monkey Ceremony with the men's Great Hunting Ceremony; and the Tao (達悟族) of Orchid Island keep one of Taiwan's most distinctive living cultures — the ritual flying-fish season (飛魚季), nail-free plank canoes and half-underground houses. The Beinan Culture left Taiwan's finest prehistoric jade, hinting that eastern Taiwan was its wealthiest region 3,000 years ago.
Taitung is widely seen as the richest wellspring of Indigenous music in Taiwan, anchored by the Tiehua Village live-music scene and the "slow living" arts community at Dulan. And Chishang rice culture gave rise to the beloved Autumn Rice Harvest Arts Festival (池上秋收稻穗藝術節) — concerts and dance (Cloud Gate, A-Mei, Sangpuy) staged in the open paddy fields since 2009.
Mandopop's biggest diva, a true Taitung native, born in Beinan Township from the Puyuma (卑南族) Damalagaw community (her Indigenous name is Kulilay Amit). She still returns to Taitung to perform, including free New Year's Eve concerts for her hometown.
Olympic weightlifting champion (Tokyo 2020 gold) of Amis descent from the Malan community in Taitung, where she grew up. She became Taiwan's first weightlifter to medal at three straight Olympics — a source of deep pride along the east coast. (She is joined by Puyuma singer Sangpuy (桑布伊), a multiple Golden Melody winner from near Zhiben.)
Summer, at the Luye Highland — Asia's signature hot-air balloon event, running since 2011. Dozens of balloons fill the dawn and dusk skies, with evening "night glow" music shows lighting the field.
The Amis Harvest Festival (around July–August) binds the community after the harvest, while the Puyuma Annual Festival (late December into January) combines the boys' Monkey Ceremony with the men's Great Hunting Ceremony. Sacred community events, attended respectfully.
Each autumn, concerts and dance (Cloud Gate, A-Mei, Sangpuy and others) are performed on a stage set amid the golden Chishang paddies — begun in 2009 and now one of Taiwan's most beloved arts events.
On Orchid Island, the spring–summer flying-fish season governs Tao ritual and food. At Lantern Festival, Taitung's Bombing Master Handan — a man as the god of wealth pelted with firecrackers — is one of Taiwan's four great Lantern events: "the east bombs Handan."
Taitung's table is grown in clean valleys, caught in the Pacific, and gathered from the wild — pure east-coast flavor.
Taiwan's most celebrated rice, and the classic railway lunchbox built on it — fragrant rice with braised pork, pickles, egg and fish.
Chishang 池上Caught during the seasonal flying-fish culture, eaten fresh and sun-dried — the defining food of the Tao people.
Orchid Island 蘭嶼The Amis cook dozens of wild mountain and riverside greens; the "stone hot pot" boils soup with fire-heated stones in a wooden container.
Amis villages 阿美部落Taitung is Taiwan's sugar-apple capital; Taimali grows the "big-eye" variety and Beinan the pineapple sugar-apple.
Taimali・Beinan 太麻里・卑南Two Taitung City classics — chewy short rice noodles with savory pork sauce, and a peppery pork-blood soup, from decades-old shops.
Taitung City 臺東市Chenggong, eastern Taiwan's largest fishing port on the Kuroshio, is famous for harpoon-caught sailfish in the autumn monsoon season.
Chenggong 成功Born in Luye in 2008, a heavily-oxidized tea with an amber-red liquor and ripe-fruit aroma, from the Fu-Lu tea region.
Luye 鹿野The southern coastal town of Taimali grows roselle, made into jams, preserves and a tart ruby-red drink in autumn.
Taimali 太麻里Asia's signature hot-air balloon fiesta at Luye Highland.
Taiwan's most famous rice and the Mr. Brown Avenue paddies.
A rare seawater hot spring and the Tao people's ocean culture.
The richest mix of Indigenous peoples and music in Taiwan.
The Beinan Culture and the National Museum of Prehistory.
Taiwan's sugar-apple capital, surfing and a laid-back coast.
Introduce Taitung to a visitor — tap 🔊 to hear each sentence. 用英文向訪客介紹臺東,點 🔊 聽聽看。
Sources · 資料來源:臺東縣政府、國立臺灣史前文化博物館、交通部觀光署東部海岸國家風景區管理處、文化部、維基百科等公開資料整理。