DURING our trip to Taipei, we added a tour to Wulai. It was one of the tours that were offered which was not very far from the city and it takes about 45 minutes car drive. And it a favorite destination because it is one of the cultural village near Taipei.
Our tour guide picked us from the hotel and she started talking about Taipei and places we were passing by. She uses her phone for immediate translation and directions. There was another fellow from Texas, originally from South Africa who was with us in the tour.
Wulai is a small town in New Taipei, Taiwan and derives its name from kirufo ulai which means hot springs of the native language of the Indigenous peoples, the Atayal tribe. They recently completed some rebuilding some structures as they experience great damage from typhoon in August and September 2015.
They are considered the third largest aboriginal group of Taiwan. Along the way we passed by a lot of beetle nut palm plantations, the clear rivers where fisher folks were fishing.
There are many hotels and resorts where visitors pay to take a bath or soak. Since it was hot summer, this was not a suggested activity. The hot springs produce alkaline carbonic acid water at 50 to 80 degrees Celsius.
As soon as we arrived, Eunice our tour guide told us to take the stairs to the push cart where she got our tickets. It was a long steep walk which gives a picturesque view and some Wulai statue where we took some photos.
When we reached the station, there was a long cue at the ticket booth, but we joined the cue for the ride. The push carts were actually mono rail log carts that carry at least ten or more people into the side of the mountain. After our ride we were picked by the car and rushed to the cultural show. To me and my husband this was the highlight of tour.
First, the garments used were woven and colors were red, white, and yellow, black. Some of the vest could pass as one of our Igorot weave.
However, the skirts were either above the knee or long dress not like our tapis which are below the knee.
The dancing steps were a lot of kicking and jumping and they were continually chanting and singing. Sometimes it seems like a cheer rather than a chant. The dancers were young adults and accordingly there was one Filipina dancer who worked there a few years ago. There was a general dancing, a hunting dance, a harvest dance and also a wedding dance.
The wedding dance was first danced by the dancers then they got us to participate. One male dancer got me and the lady dancers got the male guest.
First they gave us leis, head gear and a vest, then the ritual of a drink, kneeling and holding a wooden log with one hallow part in each end, one for groom and one for bride, imitating a drink.
Then a wooden chair woven together by vines was carried by the groom and the bride rides and is carried around. The women come and dance around, while the men were also dancing.
After that we all formed a circle and did a dancing like “digwe” in our native dance, lifting one foot alternately. This was a great experience that an Indigenous People (IP) will enjoy.
The culture dance was in a theatre which also holds a museum a shop and a good view of the waterfalls. My husband bought a vest which cost around $15 and I bought some small items. Then we went out and had photos with the waterfalls in the background. The Wulai waterfall is 80 meter high and about 10 meters width.
We walked to the Museum before visiting the other shops; I bought a sausage which tasted so good. My husband took photos with the carved hunter – a man carrying a deer and a dog at his feet. We have our cordilleran version of this woodcarving. The tour was a good one afternoon, and I wished it was longer.
If given another chance I would want to go back and spend more time in the Wulai village not as a tourist, but a culture learner.