The Dwarf Spirit Festival in Daya Village

The Dwarf Spirit Festival in Daya Village

The Dwarf Spirit Festival in Daya Village is located in Wufeng Township, Hsinchu County. Similar to the Saisiyat people in Xiangtianhu, Miaoli, their most important festival — the Dwarf Spirit Festival — is held as a minor ceremony roughly every two years around the 15th day of the 10th lunar month, and a major one every ten years. It is the most mysterious and best-preserved mountain tribal ritual in Taiwan. Legend has it that the Saisiyat held the festival to honor the spirits of the deceased so they would no longer bring harm or seek revenge, and to pray for the dwarves’ blessings of peace and a bountiful harvest. Thus, the worship of the dwarf spirits was incorporated into the Harvest Festival; it later grew to replace the original celebration, becoming the tribe’s grandest event. The festival is typically held around the 15th day of the 10th lunar month, and the rituals are mainly divided into three parts: welcoming the spirits, entertaining the spirits, and escorting the spirits away. The entire event lasts three days and nights. Due to Daya Village’s more accessible transportation compared to Xiangtianhu, the festival attracts large crowds of curious visitors each time, making the whole village lively and bustling.