Long-shaped millet dumplings (avai a kinpelj) are the most prestigious food in the Paiwan culture.  Paiwan people must make cinavu and avai a kinpelj during festivals, trips, feasts or for presents.  Learn more about the Paiwan culture by clicking the link below.

Paiwan Culture

Paiwan tribe is the dominant tribe in Taiwu Township , Laiyi Township, and Cunrih Township within our jurisdiction. It is third biggest aboriginal tribe in Taiwan next to the Amis and Atayal tribes. Most Paiwan people are living in a way almost the same as their ancestors in Sandimen, Majia, Taiwu, Laiyi , Cunrih, Shihtze, Mudan and Manchou townships ion Pingtung County; Daren, Dawu, Jingfeng and Taimali in Taitung County; and Sinyuanli in Taitung City; except those who have moved to the city.

We can see containers and decorations in Paiwan style in any Paiwan settlements, including glass beads, pottery pots, wood carvings and sabers (NB: only Lovanijun families are allowed to keep bronze sabers). They are all typical artworks of Paiwan people. Moreover, many traditional arts of tribe are the products out of everyday lives. Therefore, many articles are related to everyday lives. A combination of the spiritual and material civilizations is a striking feature of the Paiwan society. For Paiwan people, it is the wisdom that passes down from one generation to another.

Though they are disposed of by the environment, they can make full use of the environment. People living on high mountains practiced hunting. The slash-and-burn technique was the major practice of many aboriginal tribes on the island. Incomes from crops were the major source of living. Animal raising was the sideline job of the family. In this case, they were living in a kind of self-contain style, without a clear classification of occupation, i.e. exchange economics did not exist.

They lived in a simple and primitive way. They had strong living capacity, with less concern for the quality of food, clothing and housing. To meet the basic human demands for survival was what early Paiwan people asked for.

Amongst all Indonesian tribes, aboriginal tribes in Taiwan have the least influence of foreign religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. Most of them still believe in own religions. (Excerpts from Council for Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan)

Every year after harvesting millets, Paiwan people must organize a harvest ritual (known as the Fengnien Ritual or masalud in Paiwan native language). It is a ritual to show the people's appreciation for tjagalaus, the supreme deity of Paiwan tribe. When millets are ripen every year, the priest will confirm the date of the ritual. After informing the chief of all branches, she will send her assistant (pasaladjan) to carry the offering and farm in the millet fields (iyaljng taqinuman). During the five days of the ritual, working or hunting is forbidden. Those who work or hunt during the ritual will face terrible mishaps. On Day 1 when every family is busy making small millet dumplings without stuffing (cinavu), it marks the start of the ritual. On Day 2, people will mix the new millets, old millets and preserved meat (wale ng) together. When new millets are mixed with the old millets and look like old millets (zazaljan), the prohibition (palisi) is over. Not until then people can put the wale ng, vegetable and fish in the cinavu. Every family must put offering on the table to show the appreciation for tjagalaus. The priest will practice the magic at every family.

In the evening, single men in the village will wear a stagger on their waist and send a bunch of charcoals to the home of the single woman they love as a sign of courting (papulivae). The number bunches of charcoals represent the popularity and value of a woman. On Day 3, all people will gather at the square for the beauty pageant (penaljang). It is the joyous day (smuzam) of the village. People sing and dance the song of beauty (uljemay) and select one handsome man and one beautiful woman. They are given the honor to drink with the chief (langalj). On Day 4, the priest will practice the blessing ceremony (isanealjae) at every family and pray for peace, health and happiness of all people after the ritual. The last day is known as the mavesuwang, the abolition of all prohibitions. People can farm and hunt again, and a new year begins.

The millet culture in Paiwan language is known as masuvigu. The millet day is the harvest day, known as masalut. It is the celebration of good harvest and the start of a new year in Paiwan culture. In the past, Paiwan people used to calculate one's age by counting the number of masalut he had passed, suggesting the importance of masalut to Paiwan people. The millet has special meanings to Paiwan people. It is the major ingredient for wine, pot rice, cinavu, rice cake (avai a kinpelj), etc. Long-shaped millet dumplings (avai a kinpelj) are the most prestigious food in the Paiwan culture. Paiwan people must make cinavu and avai a kinpelj during festivals, trips, feasts or for presents. Therefore, the growing of millet, starting from soil preparation, sowing, mowing to harvest, has created the cooperation culture (pazazeliuliulj) among people of the tribe before the harvest and the sharing culture (masaseljevaleva) after the harvest. (Excerpts from Paiwan Tribe Millet Garden website)