Sky Adventure (I) / Journey to the Hometown of the Mikado Pheasant – Biayue Tribe

Written by / Li Xinyi, Reporter for MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network

The Mikado Pheasant is a rare bird species unique to Taiwan, also known as the national treasure bird. Unfortunately, it is endangered, and tracking it down is no easy task. Yet, surprisingly, there is a place in Taiwan reputed to be the hometown of the Mikado Pheasant — the Biayue Tribe. Also known as the Sky Tribe, the Biayue Tribe is located in Fuxing Township, Taoyuan County. Lala Mountain is famous for its peaches, and many years ago began promoting organic cultivation and banning the hunting of Mikado Pheasants, preserving this ancestral land through traditional ways of the Atayal people.

Elder Youhao mentioned that since the tribe lacks prominent tourist attractions, they banned Mikado Pheasant hunting 11 years ago, hoping it could become a symbol of the tribe. Now, the number of Mikado Pheasants has been increasing, and the elder has even spotted over thirty of them in the bamboo grove near the restaurant. The Mikado Pheasant has also become a tribal symbol, with a large image of it erected at the entrance to let visitors know they have arrived at Biayue.

The Biayue Tribe consists of only 16 households. Sitting in the back of an open truck and following a winding mountain path uphill, tribe members carry bamboo baskets to harvest pesticide-free peaches. “Nowadays, the impression of indigenous people isn’t just about someone drunk lying by the roadside,” the elder said. After the transformation, Biayue has also started organic farming many years ago, growing tomatoes, peaches, and cabbages. This year, the tribe has also begun promoting organic certification.

“Peaches are a sunset industry for the tribe,” the elder said with a sigh. With Lala Mountain peaches enjoying such fame, why have they become a sunset industry? One reason is that they are being replaced by imported peaches. But to preserve the reputation of Lala Mountain peaches, villagers continue to grow them. For consumers, the clearest way to distinguish between locally grown and imported peaches bought on Lala Mountain is to check for fuzz — local peaches have fuzz, while imported ones are smoother and lack fuzz. Asked about the price of organic peaches, the elder said it’s the same as those from downhill. However, organic farming requires more time and effort than simply spraying pesticides, and yields are limited. Normally, the prices of organic fruits and vegetables are higher, so why are the peaches here “not more expensive”? The elder explained that the goal is to make organic fruit affordable for everyone, because buying organic means supporting Taiwan’s land. If orchards use pesticides, the chemicals eventually leach into the soil and flow into the Shimen Reservoir, which harms Taiwan’s land.