The seven Tsou villages of Alishan were hard hit during Typhoon Morakot. Thanks to the completion of major infrastructure projects however, the villages attracted large crowds again during the Lunar New Year holidays this year. The Tsou tribe’s Mayasvi Ceremony was the first to be designated an important national cultural heritage. The ceremony was held at the Dabang Village during the Lunar New Year break (2/15 ~ 2/16) and drew large crowds. The Southern Tsou Hla'alua community from Taoyuan district of Kaohsiung City also took part in the festivities by joining in the singing traditional epics and ceremonial dancing. The deep red Fkuo Bridge on Taiwan Provincial Highway 18 (Alishan Highway) complemented the red ceremonial dress of the Tsou people on the Mayasvi ceremonial ground as well, enhancing the harmony between people, culture and environment.  

The Mayasvi Ceremony is the most important traditional ceremony of the Tsou tribe. The ceremony is the greatest pillar of the tribes' ethics, taboos and spiritual identity. No matter how society changes or how far away they work, the hosting of the Mayasvi Ceremony still calls most of the Tsou people home every year. Even though war and hunting is no longer the center of Tsou tribal life, the Tsou still host the ceremony every year to not only ask the war god Hamo to watch over their people but also to pass on Tsou tribal culture and maintain tribal bonds. The rituals encourage the Tsou to be proud of their tribe, to learn and understand the tribal customs, to do their best to protect the tribe and build up tribal loyalty. 

 

According to the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council (MPDRC), reconstruction efforts in the Alishan region are managed through the "Restoring the Beauty of Greater Alishan" project. Apart from accelerating the construction of road networks, all efforts were made to respect, preserve and promote the local environment and cultural heritage as well as part of the cultural rebuilding process. The "Tsou Nature and Culture Center" located above the Mayasvi ceremonial ground at Dabang Village will be completed and commissioned by the end of the year under the supervision of MPDRC. The center will become an important indicator for the preservation of cultural traditions and sustainable development by the Tsou tribe.