The Paiwan (; Chinese: 排灣; pinyin: Páiwān) are an Indigenous people of Taiwan. They speak the Paiwan language. In 2014, Paiwan people numbered 96,334. This was approximately 17.8% of Taiwan's total Indigenous population, making them the second-largest Indigenous group.
The majority of Paiwan people live in the southern chain of the Central Mountain Range, from Damumu Mountain and the upper Wuluo River in the north of the southern chain to the Hengchun Peninsula in the south of it, and also in the hills and coastal plains of southeastern Taiwan. There are two subgroups under the Paiwan people: the Ravar and the Vuculj.
The unique ceremonies in Paiwan are Masalut and Maljeveq. The Masalut is a ceremony that celebrates the harvest of rice, whereas the Maljeveq commemorates their ancestors or gods.
History
The name "Paiwan" may have originated from a myth. According to the myth, Paiwan ancestors lived in a location on Dawu mountain (Tawushan) that was called "Paiwan", where heaven is said to exist. Paiwan people have spread out from this location, so the name of the original place was assumed as their group name. According to some group members, "Paiwan" also means "human being".
One of the most important figures in Paiwan history was supreme chief Tok-a-Tok (1874),See also his article on the Chinese Wikipedia. who united 18 tribes of Paiwan under his rule, and after defeating American Marines during the Formosa Expedition in 1867, he concluded a formal agreement with Chinese and Western leaders to ensure the safety of foreign ships landing on their coastal territories in return for amnesty for Paiwan tribesmen who had killed the crew of the barque Rover in March 1867 (see Rover incident).
In 1871 a Ryūkyūan vessel shipwrecked on the southern tip of Taiwan, and 54 of the 66 survivors were beheaded by the Paiwan people (Mudan Incident). When Japan sought compensation from Qing China, the court rejected the demand on the grounds that Taiwan's "raw" or "wild" natives () were outside its jurisdiction. This perceived renunciation of sovereignty led to the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1874 in which chief Tok-a-Tok was killed in action.
During the Chinese Civil War, between 1946 and 1949, many Paiwan men were forcibly enlisted in the Kuomintang forces. When the war ended, some of the Paiwan remained behind in China and formed their own communities.
Tsai Ing-wen, elected as President of Taiwan in 2016, is ¼ Paiwan via her grandmother.
In 2023, the skulls of four Paiwan warriors were returned to the tribe after being taken as trophies during the Japanese invasion in 1874 and subsequently transferred to the collection of the University of Edinburgh in 1907.
Customs Unlike other peoples in Taiwan, Paiwan society is divided into classes with a hereditary aristocracy. The Paiwan are not allowed to marry outside their group. On the day of their "five-yearly rite," all marriage-seeking Paiwan men try to cut down as many trees as possible and offer the firewood thus procured to the family of the girl they want to marry.
Tattooed hands are a tradition of both Paiwan and Rukai peoples. Noble women used to receive these tattoos as a rite of passage into adulthood. However, the practice has been less common since the Japanese colonial era, as it was discouraged and fined during that time. Shamans would tattoo hands in different patterns for different personal backgrounds. Less noble women could have received it, but they had to pay a hefty price on top of inviting all members of the community to a banquet with the purpose of gaining the community's approval. Less noble women also had different tattoo designs than noblewomen. The painful tattooing process represented dignity and honor and the suffering that one could endure, lasting as long as it needs to with consideration for many taboos and nuances, such as praying. For example, pregnant women were not allowed to watch the process and no one watching was allowed to sneeze. If any taboos were broken, the ritual would be put off until another day chosen.
In February 2015, Li Lin, the oldest Paiwan person with hand tattoos, died at the age of 102. Li Lin had her hand tattoos starting at the age of 14 before marrying a village head as a common girl. She played a large role in promoting the cultural art form and continues to be an icon of cultural identity even in her death.
Clothing The Paiwan people have a unique clothing scheme with details that differentiate societal class, gender, and ceremonies. Materials used for clothing started out as bark fibers and pelts, but linen, cotton, and wool fabrics later became popular. The men wear circular-collar long-sleeved short chest coverings with buttons down the front and kilts, and a shawl slung over the shoulder. Women wear circular-collar robes but with buttons going down along their right side with panel skirts, and leggings. In addition, they wear head scarves, elaborate head rings, or forehead bands. In solemn ceremonies, Paiwan men wear ceremonial headwear, long vests, leg coverings, and sword baldrics. As for dance attire, there is no difference in clothing, however it is common to wear one's nicest clothes for special occasions. When children grew up and were about to get married, the mothers personally made their traditional clothing for them.
Intricate and grand patterns, totems, and clothing are exclusively for nobles and the chief in the Paiwan group. Designs with elements such as human heads, human figures or hundred pace vipers, are used to distinguish those of high class from the rest of society. The chief and other high society of the Paiwan people also use tattoos to distinguish themselves. Commoners with special achievements are honored with tattoo(s) on their body and/or hands.
Embroidery is popularly done with bright colors over dark, commonly black, backgrounds. Embroidery is used for telling stories, sharing one's memories, and legends/folktales. Hundred-pacer snakes, elements, and symbols such as the Sun and Sun god are used solely for nobility, as they represent power. Designs with human heads and ancestral spirits signify protection, while warriors and crossed-shaped patterns are symbols shamans can use to ward off evil. Patterns with flowers and grass are for ordinary people and hunting knives and animals are also common, while butterflies symbolize innocent young girls.
Religion
Traditionally, Paiwan people have been polytheists. Their wooden carvings included images of human heads, snakes, deer, and geometric designs. In Taiwan, the Bataul branch of the Paiwan peoples holds a major sacrifice – called maleveq – every five years to invite the spirits of their ancestors to come and bless them. Djemuljat is an activity in the Maleveq in which the participants thrust bamboo poles into cane balls symbolizing human heads.
Shamanism Shamanism has been described as an important part of Paiwan culture. Paiwan shamanism is traditionally seen as being inherited by bloodline. However, a decline in the number of Paiwan shamans has raised concerns that traditional rituals might be lost; and has led to the founding of a shamanism school to pass on the rituals to a new generation.
Christianity Thousands of Paiwan people in Taiwan converted to Christianity in the late 1940s and 1950s. Today, the Presbyterian church in Taiwan reports 14,900 Paiwan members, meeting in 96 congregations. The New Testament has been translated into Paiwan. The Catholic Church is also very active, though the number of young people attending is falling.
Heritage In May 2015, two Paiwan totem poles were listed as ROC national treasures by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture. Both of these artifacts were acquired by the National Taiwan University during the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945). They were submitted for national treasure listing earlier in 2015.
The Paiwan language is one of Taiwan's 42 Indigenous tongues and dialects, and one of nine that are listed as vulnerable on the UNESCO atlas of endangered languages.
The Paiwan Nose flute (Lalingedan)
The lalingedan, or double-pipe nose flute, is a quintessential symbol of Paiwan musical heritage. Characterized by its unique two-part polyphonic structure, it consists of a melody pipe (qivuivu) and a drone pipe (zemangrau). Acoustically, the instrument produces a distinctive "breathy timbre" due to the low pressure of nasal exhalation, a sound revered as the unadorned "voice of the soul" and synesthetically linked to the calls of the Hundred-pace Snake, the tribe's ancestral protector. Traditionally, its performance was a privilege of noblemen or accomplished hunters, used to articulate complex emotions of longing (saluveljengen) or mourning (talimuzav). The music relies heavily on the harmonic series and micro-ornamentations like vibrato and glissando to mimic human sobbing. In the late 20th century, modern adaptations introduced six-hole designs and twelve-tone equal temperament, enabling the instrument to perform contemporary repertoire while sparking academic dialogue on the preservation of its traditional low-frequency aesthetic.Li, C.W. (2010) Paiwan zu chuan tong bi di yin yue yan jiu ji xian kuang zhi tan tao——yi Butsul ya zu wei li [A Study of Traditional Paiwan Nose Flute Music and Its Current Status: A Case Study of the Butsul Subgroup]. Master's thesis. National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei.
The Paiwan nose flute is made using two nodes of bamboo, one with finger holes and one without. The pipe without fingerholes is called the drone pipe or zemangrau and is aptly named as it emits a steady and constant droning noise when played and the pipe with finger holes or qivuivu produces the main melody of the nose flute. When making the 5 finger holes, the first is marked 10 cm from the bottom of the flute and the subsequent 4 are measured according to the most suitable playing distance for each player's hands. A heated iron rod is used to pierce the holes at an angle for the best sound production. That same hot rod is used to make the air hole on top of the flute. Once the flute has been prepared, the final step is carving designs onto the flute. Typically the designs carved are geometric in nature resembling the markings of the Hundred Pacer Snake whom the Paiwan people and the nose flute have a deep history and connection with.Hu, T. (1995). Preservation and Transmission of Paiwan Nose Flute and Mouth Flute Techniques,. pp.181–184.
In Traditional Paiwan Society, the Lalingedan (Paiwan nose flute) was associated with social status, and only noble men were allowed to play the instrument. Lalingedan was commonly used in courtship, and rituals such as funerals, harvest festivals, and weddings.Cheng, Lancini Jen-Hao (2014). Taxonomies of Taiwanese Aboriginal Musical Instruments (PhD thesis). New Zealand: University of Otago. p. 280. Contemporary performances and media representations often associate the sound of the Paiwan nose flute with emotions such as love, longing, and sorrow.Chen, Hsuan-Kai (July 2024). "Research on Context Analysis and Interpretation for Paiwan Mouth Flute and Nose Flute Life Craft Culture of Taiwan Indigenous Peoples". Official Conference Proceedings. The Asian Conference on Arts & Humanities 2024. pp. 543–555. doi:10.22492/issn.2186-229X.2024.48. ISSN 2186-229X.
Preservation and Modern interpretationHsu, C.-H. (n.d.) Sounding Paiwan: Institutionalization and Heritage-Making of Paiwan Lalingedan and Pakulalu Flutes in Contemporary Taiwan. Ethnomusicology Review, 22(2), pp. 117–140.