Sanungung Community
Sanungung Community
About the tribe
Traditional songs and hunting culture
The Sanungung Community, through which the Luye and Luliao rivers flow, is located in Yanping Township of Taitung County. Most of its residents are of the indigenous Bunun tribe. The traditional Bunun calendar recorded the important work and ceremonies of each season. For example, the most well-known ceremony is the Ear Shooting Festival, during which hunters give thanks to the animals they have hunted for providing food and pass down the Bunun culture to the children.
Uninang is used to express thanks in the Bunun language. Hu Ming-Zhi and his wife Wang Mei-Hua returned to this community to search for their roots and established the Uninang Taluhan Workshop, which offers cultural tours that include learning traditional hunting knowledge, cooking outdoors and listening to the songs and stories of the Bunun. Guests can also opt to stay overnight in a traditional structure.
Tribal cuisine
Hunter's outdoor dining table
From Yongling Mountain are panoramic views of the East Longitudinal Valley. Here, listen to the stories of the Bunun tribe and sample traditional ingredients including taro root, sweet potatoes, pigeon peas, millet and corn. Also, gather around a fire to grill pieces of pork, just as Bunun hunters once did.
※Indigenous cuisine meals are also available in the community.
Visiting the tribe
Hunter's path guided tour
Hunters climb Yongling Mountain on their way to their hunting grounds. Before setting out, they worship the ancestral spirits with a respectful and sincere attitude. Along a path used by hunters, learn about traps made from slate and animal tracks, as well as traditional plant dyes and plant materials for weaving baskets.
Prayer for a Bountiful Millet Harvest
Pasibutbut (Prayer for a Bountiful Millet Harvest) is a well-known example of polyphonic singing. It is a traditional prayer for blessings that is part of the Bunun culture. A group of men forms a circle, with each producing a sound that mimics that found in nature to create a unique harmony.
Traditional report on hunting achievements
Hunters returning to the community would form a circle to report on their achievements in four-syllable rhythms. Women and others standing outside the circle would respond with joy. During this traditional activity, younger generations observed the hunters' spirit and blood lines were revealed to avoid marriages among relatives.
Turmeric moichi making
The Bunun are very hospitable. They produce moichi using pestle and mortar to welcome friends. To glutinous rice is added the traditional staple grain, millet, as well as turmeric, a more recent crop that is claimed to have health benefits. This creates a unique flavor. Visitors can also experience making moichi.
Bunun hunting experience
In addition to finding their way through mountain forests, hunters had to be skilled at using a spear. They would obtain a bamboo pole and sharpen it to a tip to which they applied natural plant poisons. Bows and arrows were also important weapons. In the Sanungung Community, test your archery and spear-throwing skills
Reservations
Itinerary
One-day hunter's outdoor dining table experience : Hunter's path guided tour → Bunun hunting experience → hunter's outdoor dining table → Prayer for a Bountiful Millet Harvest → traditional report on hunting achievements → turmeric moichi making The Itinerary “hunter's outdoor dining table” : quota of people is 20-30.
Traffic
By Car
Provincial Highway No. 9 > Yanping Township > Yongle Road > Sanungung community
By Train
From Taipei : Taipei Station > Eastern mainline Line > Luye Station > Taxi > Sanungung community
From Kaohsiung : Kaohsiung Station > South link Line > Luye Station > Taxi > Sanungung community