There is a secret realm known only by hunters of the Bunun tribe.

It is situated in the Yongkang settlement in Yenping Township, with the tall peak of Dulan Mountain at the southern edge of the Central Mountain Range to one side, closely flanked on the other by the Yongning section of the Central Mountain Range. The indigenous Bunun tribe members who live here, expert hunters, move about the mountainous forests in their daily lives.

Yongling Mountain, situated behind the settlement, is a traditional hunting ground. After some cleaning up by the staff of the Uninang Multicultural Workshop, the hunting trails have been transformed into a place to explore the primal forest and experience hunting culture.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Accompanied by Nunan, who heads up Uninang, we arrive by car at the entrance to the hunting trails and proceed on foot. With reverence and sincerity, Bunun elders Laung and Havutaz perform a ritual for the ancestors before starting the hunt.

Knotted tree roots snake underfoot, preserving the primary forest’s appearance. Ropes have been fixed on either side of the trail to assist those less skilled at climbing.

As we move along the path, Laung and Havutaz explain how their ancestors followed their prey’s tracks and made traps with stone slabs. The vegetation along the way is unusual, such as the herringbone fern that can be used as a water source, the Dioscorea rhipogonioides used for making dyes, and Calamus jenkinsianus (rattan) used for weaving baskets.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Liu Tzu-ning, president of the Hotel Royal Chihpen, observes that the Yongkang settlement’s traditional culture has not been eroded as a result of hosting outside guests; on the contrary, it has thrived even more. Liu remarks that he is moved more with each visit. Visitors to the community find themselves immersed in the atmosphere, and able to share and participate.

Walking into the wooded hills, visitors can try their hand at spear throwing and archery, two traditional skills that play a large part in the hunters’ lifestyle.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Mowna Titi, a member of the Taroko tribe, is visiting the Yongkang settlement for the first time. Both he and his wife, Attayal native Akin Yawi, found the tour a relaxing and very approachable way to experience a different culture.

As the tour draws to a close, we come to the hut where the hunters used to rest. These days, thanks to the Herculean efforts of Laung, Havutaz and Nunan, who collected over 5,000 discarded tires, the previously muddy area has been transformed into a perfect platform to take in the entire valley and enjoy a meal of nature’s bounties.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

The food, prepared by “community mother” Wang Mei-hua, is a refined take on traditional Bunun ingredients. For instance, pumpkin, taro, or purple yam leaves can be substituted when millet is not available. These are steamed and then paired with mulberry or roselle preserves to enhance flavor.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Hunters eat locally obtained food, and dine with utensils that are both casual and wild, like betel nut fronds, bamboo, and leaves. The ingredients are colorful, complementing an enticing appetite.

As we eat, Mei-hua tells the story of each dish. Each is a staple, and her stories all recount authentic life experiences.

Like a hunter, I huddle by the stove to grill pork kebabs with bamboo skewers. The pineapple jam on the side, warmed over the open fire, is made from the smaller, less visually appealing “golden diamond” variety of pineapples that are not strong sellers alone on the market.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Wang Mei-hua relates that in the past when material goods were harder to come by, tribe members bartered for salt cured fish. This was prized by the mountain-dwelling Bunun tribe, who only indulged during special festivals. Today, having this served along with millet shows their heartfelt hospitality.

Uninang, which once earned the highest three-star rating for Slow Food, runs a sparse but very clean kitchen.

Previously a tea farmer on Lishan, after developing physical ailments from the rigors of tea cultivation Wang Mei-hua decided to move back to the Yongkang settlement, where she teamed up with Huvataz and his wife to run a small restaurant. And Nunan, who was driving a truck in Taichung, resolved to come back home and work with his parents running tours.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Soon after they began promoting the tours, a travel agency promised to give them business if they gave a free tour of the whole itinerary, only to discover that it was the agency’s owner and entire family that they were attending to.

Undeterred, Nunan relates that the name “Uninang” was chosen because it means “gratitude” in the Bunun language. And that journey was full of both frustration and gratitude.

Laung says, “Our lives are our culture and culture is our life.” The hunting tour is designed just to give visitors a taste, but it is by no means contrived.

The tours are full of beautiful landscapes and fine foods, making them unforgettable. And the most moving part is the way this family’s efforts bring people together.

(Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

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Have you read?

• A Bunun Tribe in Hualien Elevates Indigenous Culture for the Right Travelers 
• Taiwan Indigenous Communities Call for Young People’s Return 
• A Year of Weaving in Taiwan

Translated by David Toman
Edited by TC Lin
Uploaded by Ian Huang