Paiwan Cultural Artifacts Return Home for Exhibition; Flag from the Mudan Incident Draws Attention

Written/Compiled and Reported by Li Xinyi, MOOK Travel Life Network　

The National Taiwan Museum houses 28 ancient artifacts from the Paiwan Dawu Village and has collected 17 local cultural relics from Shizi Township. These items are being exhibited for the first time at the Shizi Township Cultural Artifacts Exhibition Hall from now until March 30, 2013. The highlight of this exhibition, titled “Echoes of the Ancestors – Glory of the Elders: The Special Exhibition of Dawu Village Paiwan Cultural Artifacts Returning to Shizi Township,” is the “Mudan Incident Tribal Submission Protection Flag.” This flag was distributed by Japanese forces in 1874 during the Mudan Incident, when they invaded the Mudan Village. It was given to indigenous tribes that were friendly toward the Japanese army as a form of protection. At the time, the chief of the Zhongnan Village (a branch of the Dawu Village) was forced to accept this flag to protect the land and the lives of various tribes from becoming targets of the Japanese military.

In 1913, the grandson of the original flag owner donated the artifact to the museum. In 2010, it was designated as an “Important Cultural Artifact.” This is the first time the flag has returned to its place of origin in nearly a century, and also its first time on public display outside the museum, making the event highly significant. Other displayed artifacts include Paiwan men’s animal-tooth headbands, bamboo tubes containing animal bones, rattan baskets, spoon baskets, Qiang sheepskin hats, connected cups, and beaded ornaments—all everyday items and clothing. Visitors can learn about the original uses of these artifacts through the oral histories shared by tribal elders.

National Taiwan Museum Director Chen Jimin stated that since Shizi Township is a plains-dwelling tribe with early Sinicization, many tribal members no longer remember their own history, and those who can still communicate with elders in the native language are becoming fewer. Therefore, recording oral histories has become an urgent task. This special exhibition was guided by the National Taiwan Museum, with Paiwan people from Shizi Township conducting their own field research and writing the exhibition texts. Through this opportunity, the Southern Paiwan indigenous people are encouraged to further understand and uncover their own history during the research process. Shizi Township Mayor Kong Chao personally delivered a speech expressing gratitude to the curatorial team of the National Taiwan Museum for returning both ownership and interpretation rights of the artifacts to their place of origin. He described the excitement of the artifacts returning home and reviving the glory of southern Taiwan with the words “my heart is boiling.” “Only when tears fall on your own soil does the soul truly boil!” The exhibition is free to visit. For more details, please check the official website: www.pthg.gov.tw/TownSzt.

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