Celebrate the New Year with a party in an Eastern Taiwan tribal village – the 30-year-old Paiwan Joint Annual Festival

▲ Paiwan Joint Annual Festival. (Photo / Sourced fromTaitung County Tourism Website)

By Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Celebrate a unique and vibrant New Year in an Eastern Taiwan tribal village.The “Paiwan Joint Annual Festival” will be held on February 12 (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year) in Xiabinlang Community.Since its inception in 1989 (the 78th year of the Republic of China), it has been celebrated for nearly thirty years. This year, as Pinaski Tribe marks 100 years since relocating to its current site, it’s especially meaningful that the Nangang Tribe generously allowed this event to be hosted here.

For the Paiwan people, the mangayaw (Annual Festival) is a solemn ceremony held by each tribe. The “Joint Annual Gathering” is a time for Paiwan people to come together, share emotions, and bring joy to the elders. Taking advantage of this grand gathering held once every two years, they specially honor tribal members who have made contributions—not necessarily through great deeds or fame, but simply because their fellow villagers recognize them as “deserving.” They could be diligent, brave, and upright youth, open-minded and fair elders, or kind-hearted, hardworking, and patient mothers... All of them can become role models for the Paiwan people, passing on the value of “being born Paiwan” to future generations.

The Pinaski Tribe, a community that has existed for at least a hundred years, after more than 500 days of careful consideration and consultation with tribal elders, decided to center the event around the “Ancestors’ Garland,” showcasing the beauty of Paiwan ethics, life, and culture. At the same time, the Pinaski Tribe changed the “Joint Annual Festival” to the “Joint Annual Gathering.” During this “Gathering,” friends from all over the world are warmly invited to “get to know the Paiwan people” through various activities, both dynamic and static. They will come to understand that “the garland is a gift from the Paiwan people to the world,” and that the “Joint Annual Gathering” is a joyful reunion where everyone extends open arms in welcome.

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