Preserving Indigenous Culture: The "Tsou Nature and Culture Center" Opens on the 15th

▲ The Tsou Nature and Culture Center opened on the 15th, hoping to continue passing down Tsou culture. (Photo / Screenshot fromAlishan National Park Headquarters website, the same below)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

“The Tsou Nature and Culture Centerofficially opened on the 15th. In the future, the center will help preserve Tsou culture, not only boosting surrounding tourism but also aiming to fulfill the goal of cultural heritage. It will provide job opportunities for members of the Dabang tribe, revitalize local industries, and become another key attraction along the Alishan travel route.

In terms of interior space planning, visitors enter the information desk and permanent exhibition room on the first floor through the main entrance plaza. They can also visit the audiovisual briefing room to learn comprehensive information about the Tsou people. Between the exhibition rooms, reading room, and central courtyard, floor-to-ceiling windows with full openings are designed to naturally bring in views of the traditional family house displays and the scenery of Dabang tribe. Visitors can walk up the stairs to the second-floor special exhibition room for further exploration, or head to the outdoor observation terrace to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the entire Dabang village.

▲ Staff dressed in traditional attire provide guided tours.

The exterior of the building incorporates colors from traditional costumes as decorative elements, giving the center a distinct Tsou identity. The modern steel roof is specially designed with a heavy eave section to echo the appearance of a traditional thatched roof, reminiscent of a hen hatching eggs. The main entrance and the second-floor special exhibition room use exposed structural techniques to express the architectural spirit of the kuba (traditional Tsou men’s assembly house) with its railing-style design.

Additionally, two special exhibitions have been planned: one is a showcase of works by Tsou beauty “Wu Yu-hong-chi-chien-shih-tu? (Wu Yu-hong's Art Exhibition)”, featuring 24 oil paintings that convey traditional Tsou culture. The other special exhibition is the “Tsou Handicraft Exhibition”, displaying a variety of Tsou handcrafted items such as bamboo carvings, leather carvings, and textiles, showcasing the beauty of Tsou craftsmanship across multiple forms. These exhibitions aim not only to help the Tsou people better understand their own culture but also to allow the general public to gain deeper insight into Tsou heritage. Both special exhibitions will run until the end of February next year, and the public is welcome to visit and experience the unique cultural charm of the Tsou people in Alishan.

Tsou Nature and Culture Center
Address: No. 6, Lane 1, Dabang Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County
Phone: 05-2593900 ext. 034

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