Do you know the customs and folklore of your hometown? Please choose one aspect to introduce.

The Gaoshan people cherish children, and the Atayal people believe that "a child is a gift from the gods". Each ethnic group has its own rituals for the birth and naming of a child.

Bathing rituals are commonly practiced after the birth of a baby. The people of Pingpu believe that the gods, the Goddess of Mercy, and the Eunuch of the Three Guarantees have sprinkled sacred medicines in the river, and that bathing the baby will give him a long life, free from illness and disease, and that "even if he does not have a great career, he will become a whale, a carp, and a jiao alligator," and will be a young man of great ability. The people of Peinan held a ceremony to draw water after the birth of their babies, and on the next day, they carried their babies out of the house and swabbed their faces to get rid of the evil spirits.

Mothers usually rest for only three to five days before resuming labor. The Rukai hold a ritual of leaving the village on the third day after giving birth, in which they walk out of the village twice and then return; and the Peinan hold a simulated hoeing ritual after the umbilical cord has fallen off the fetus and the father goes hunting in the mountains as a way of lifting the taboo on pregnancy.

Naming a child is a key issue, and the timing of naming varies by ethnic group. The Saisiyas wait for the baby's umbilical cord to fall off and hold a sacrifice ceremony before naming it; the Bununs name their babies when they are one month old. The naming ceremony is also very solemn, with singing, dancing, drinking and inviting the gods.

The Gaoshan people choose their names according to the ancestral name genealogy. The names handed down from the ancestors are all auspicious and nice names, and the descendants also like to follow the names of their ancestors. There are also some tribes that distinguish between high and low from among the names. In order to welcome the arrival of a newborn baby, Taiwanese people perform the "Three Dynasties Ceremony" for newborn babies. On the third day of the child's life, a "midwife" will be invited to draw a small piece of rice from the heart of a cinnamon flower, a mandarin leaf, and a longan leaf, and a small piece of rice from the heart of a crocus flower. (the heart of the cattail flower), kan leaves, longan leaves, and a small stone are put into water and boiled, and then the baby's body is washed with this water. The use of kankan leaves and longan leaves means that the child will have a prosperous future and will be bold and successful in the future.

After the washing, the grandmother carries the baby to the main hall of the house and worships the gods and ancestors. Friends and relatives also come to congratulate the mother, and the mother's family is notified to prepare various gifts.

Ceremonies are held for the child on the occasion of the baby's full moon. On this day, the baby's hair is shaved off. However, recently there are many people who shave off their babies' hair 24 days after delivery, because there is an ancient story of the 24 filial piety, and parents hope that their children will grow up to be as filial to their parents as the 24 filial sons. Before shaving the baby's head, a boiled egg and duck egg water should be put into a wash basin, then a stone, 12 cents, a small amount of green onion and an egg should be put in, the green onion should be crushed and then poured on the baby's hair with its juice, and the yolk of the egg should be smeared on the hair as well, and then the hair should be shaved off. The stone signifies that the baby has a head shell and is healthy; the money signifies that it will grow up to be a person of great wealth; the green onion will make the hair thick and black; and the egg yolk will wash away dirt. There is a saying in Taiwan: "Duck egg body, chicken egg face, good marriage into a good, come to even", that is to say, the child's body grows as big as a duck egg, the face is as beautiful and round as an egg, and will surely have a good marriage when he or she grows up.

After shaving, the neighbors were asked to carry the baby outside the house and chase the chickens with bamboo poles, calling them "Chicken?" , while singing the nursery rhyme: "Oops? The chickens flew up the hill, and the children became officials; the chickens flew high, and the children became officials. Flying high, my son will be a scholar; scops owl, flying low, my son will be a scholar.

This kind of nursery rhyme is only used to bless a baby boy, and if it is a baby girl, it is enough to sing "Eagle Eagle Eagle".

On the day of the full moon, offerings are made to the gods, Buddha and ancestors in the form of oil, rice, chicken and wine. It is also customary for the brothers of the mother's family to bring the baby's "head and tail," that is, all of the baby's clothing from head to toe. These include clothes, hats, shoes and socks, silver medals, gold locks, and anklets and bracelets. These gifts can also be given on the day of birth and on the anniversary of the birth, although the most generous gifts are given on the "full moon" and the "anniversary of the birth". In the case of a boy, the gifts are even greater.

When the child is four months old, there is the "April Day". Unlike other days, this time to prepare livestock and sweet and "red peaches", 'red turtle sugar", "shortcake", etc., to worship God and ancestors. Friends and family give gifts as usual. On this day, the main ceremony is to "collect the birthday" we ceremony. The "harvesting" ceremony is to collect the water of the festival and bless the children to grow up. The family must prepare 12 (or 24, 48) cakes, strung with silk or black silk thread, by friends and relatives to say a few words of good luck, and take a cake in the child's mouth to wipe a little, said "collect Christmas collection away from the next year to recruit a little brother".

To the child "to do the weekly", in addition to general congratulations, but also let the child to choose items to predict the child's future prospects, with the mainland's "weekly" is the same meaning. In other words, 12 kinds of objects are placed on the table of God in the main hall, and the child is allowed to go to the table to get them. The first one to get it indicates the child's occupation or living condition when he or she grows up. For example, the first to get a book, that the child will be a reader; get a pen, that is a calligrapher; get a chicken leg, that is a person with a good mouth; get an abacus, that is a good businessman; get silver, that is very good at earning money; get green onions, that is smart; get a field, that is a planter. In Taiwan to celebrate the birth of a child, in addition to distributing some snacks and desserts to friends and relatives, so that everyone can share the joy, there are other customs, such as Tainan County, Yongkang Township, Xisi Village area has retained the age of the week, "cake" custom, which is a unique local folklore.

Every year, the 20th day of the first month of the lunar calendar is an important day for the four villages in Yongkang Township, Xisei Village, Xinzhuangzai, Fanchuangdun and Xinhua Township. On this day, all the first month before the 20th of the year to give birth to a son's family, have to send "fruit cake" (commonly known as water cakes) to their own villages have the "blessing" we villagers to taste.

According to legend, this custom of "sharing cakes" has a history of more than 100 years. Split the cake time for the twentieth day of the first month, is also the main god of Guangxing Palace Xiefu Marshal's birthday. Guangxing Palace is commonly known as the "Marshal's Mansion", the King's Hall is dedicated to Marshal Xie Fu, the left hall is dedicated to the Queen of Jisheng, and the right hall is dedicated to the God of the Earth, which is a typical Min-style shrine. The temple is the faith center of four villages. Every year on the 18th day of the first month of the morning around 8 o'clock, in front of the god in order to sing the name of the "throw cup" way, elected to manage the temple furnace master (*** elected seven), responsible for the public *** rituals and collect "blessed points of money".

The so-called "blessed money" people with "blessed" identity to pay 250 yuan a year to the Guangxing Palace for funding, collected in four phases, in addition to the July (Pudu) to collect 100 yuan, the rest of the two, five, nine of these three months, 50 yuan, aged 60 years old, exempted. The first is the one that is not a part of the program, but the second is the one that is not a part of the program.

The so-called "blessings" are the "registered" members of the Guangxing Palace, only men, no women, all of whom participate voluntarily. In general, however, people join on their own initiative when they get married, and outsiders who have moved to the area can also join.

Before distributing the water cakes, the families of these jangzhangs prepare three animals, four fruits, water cakes and new children's clothes, or bring their newborn baby boys to burn gold at the Guangxing Palace, which is located in the Sweet Potato Alcove, to thank "Xiefu Yuanshuai" for giving the family a son and to pray that the child grows up safely and becomes a successful man in the future.

The distribution of water cakes (also called "filial piety cakes") takes place between 1pm and 3pm on the 20th day of the first lunar month. Water cakes are a kind of flour pancakes covered with sugar paste, about 1 cm thick, very tasty, divided into two sizes, one is the "blessed cake", all the blessed status of everyone has a share; the other is the "old cake", is given to the elderly over 60 years old. Water cakes in pairs in a quart, can be two boxes, two stacks, the top pair of printed "Tim Tim Fat Choy" to speak of the head is not to send people, but for good luck to leave their own to eat.

There are also two ways to send water cakes, one is the three villages of Xisi, Xinzhuangzai and Xiangyancuo, take the "distribution to the home" way, that is, by the furnace owner of each village to lead the team, each "child-bearing households" first prepared water cakes, to the furnace owner's home to gather, and then by the furnace owner to lead the team, according to the blessing of the roster, and then to the furnace owner to lead the team, according to the roster. Then the stove master will lead the team and distribute the water cakes from house to house according to the roster of Fukubin. The other is the new town to take the "centralized collection" type, time is about 2:30 or so, ready to "born son household" one after another will be the water cake to home, each take care of their cake, Zhuangmin take the utensils to the stove master home door, sing the name of the cake.

The atmosphere at the time of the distribution of cakes was very warm, full of festivity, and the sound of joy was endless and joyful. This fully reflects the deep-rooted concept of succession in Chinese folklore.

Colorful Folk Clothing

The style and texture of the clothes are unique depending on people's living habits and living areas, and also incorporate unique aesthetic interests. The clothing of Taiwan's Alpine compatriots has been improved over hundreds of years and has its own distinctive national characteristics. Due to different regions, different climates, and different ethnic customs, folklorists have categorized the clothing styles of alpine men into four types by region, and women's into three types.

There are four types of clothing styles for men of the Gaoshan ethnic group: the first is the northern type represented by the Atayal, Saisiyat and northern Amis. It is characterized by a sleeveless carcass tunic cut from a narrow width of linen cloth, like the unbuttoned trench coat worn by modern people. The coat is made of two pieces of cloth, sewn together only at the back and underarms, and the unsewn part of the front is a foliate front closure, with two buttons that are pinned together in front of the chest. Sleeveless trench coat has two kinds of long and short, the long one is up to the knee, called "Ruyansi", and the short one is only up to the navel, called "Ladang". This kind of clothing is just ordinary clothing. Celebration of festivals to wear to the feast of the dress is white as a base, in the chest and back woven with geometric patterns plus pick embroidery and bead decorations, looks particularly beautiful and chic.

Additionally, it was customary for the Atayal and the men of the northern mountains to wear a striped piece of linen wrapped across the waist as a loincloth to cover the lower part of the body. A piece of diagonal cloth was also hung across the chest as a corset. Except in summer, four narrow pieces of linen are also sewn into a rectangle around the upper body and knotted over the left shoulder, the cloak. Its shape is like that of a surplice, and with a waist skirt, it is quite martial. The head usually wear a semi-circular leather cap or pointed rattan hat, barefoot. Saixia people only carcass clothes, undershirts, no surplice-like cloak.

The second is the central type represented by the Cao and Bunun people. It is characterized by the use of deerskin as the material of clothing, the upper garment is a deerskin undershirt with hair, and the outer deerskin shawl, which is at the same time a display of the fruits of hunting. This kind of deerskin undershirt is a whole piece in the back, two pieces in the front, and the chest is open, graceful and very divine. In addition to undershirt and shawl, in front of the chest also hangs a square chest bag, chest bag when the chest, woven with geometric patterns. This chest bag is both a kind of decoration, but also very practical. It can hold betel nut, pipe tobacco and other bits and pieces, very convenient. They also wear a waist pouch made of a square piece of twill folded into a triangle around their waist to cover their lower body. For festivals, they add a diagonal embroidered chest and a black cloth front skirt at the waist. When going out to hunt or going to a festival, they also added buckskin arm covers and pants covers. Cao people in the old man's "dress" is more grand, often in the dress above, cover a red and black lapel long-sleeved tunic, head wearing a leather hat, feet wearing snowshoe-shaped leather shoes, the air of authority, some of the state banquet to rush to the feudal lords of the style.

Three is the southern type represented by Paiwan, Peinan, Rukai and southern Amis. It is characterized by a long-sleeved blouse with lapels and a vest-shaped tunic, and a half-waisted skirt at the waist, or a wide belt that hangs down at both ends as a front skirt. Whether it is a vest-shaped blouse or a long-sleeved blouse with a placket, the people of these groups like to put fine lace and elaborate patterns on the sleeves, collar, waist and hem of the clothes, and their embroidery is also very high, with bright and colorful southern features.

The nobles of Paiwan and Peinan used leopard skin as their shawls, leopard teeth and antlers as their crowns, and wore colorful or pick-embroidered cotton overpants underneath. Commoners only wrap their heads in black cloth and go barefoot without shoes.

Fourth is the Yami type of the Yami people on Orchid Island. Because they live on the sea and the climate is hot, the men here usually wear only a thong belt made of thick cloth about three or four inches wide to cover their lower bodies, and seldom wear any other clothes except for the occasional pair of short shirts or undershirts made of plant fibers. In order to avoid the summer heat, they often wear rattan helmets or wooden helmets on their heads.

The women's clothing of the alpine tribe is more beautiful and beautiful than the men's clothing, and the decoration is more complicated. There are three types of clothing depending on the region:

One is the short dress and long skirt style of the Suya, Saixia, Cao and Amis. The upper body is a short garment with buttons and long sleeves, and the lower body is wrapped with a long skirt around the waist. The Atayal and Saisiyal wear a single skirt, the Cao wear a double-closed skirt on the left and right, and the Paiwan, the Peinan, and some of the southern Amis wear a long skirt in the Jian style. Suya people, Saixia people, Cao people and Amis women, the chest also hang a piece of rhomboid corset, similar to the Han women's bibs. In addition to short dresses and long skirts, women of all ethnic groups wear knee breeches to cover their lower legs.

The second is the Bunun, Rukai and Paiwan people's long clothes underwear style. The top is a narrow-sleeved long coat with long sleeves, shoulder sleeves rolled and embroidered, and the bottom wears an apron and knee breeches with a five-foot black or red cloth wrapped around the head, called an old pot". Bare feet without shoes.

Third is the naked style of the Yami people. Upper body often wear only an undershirt, the lower body only horizontal around a piece of loincloth. In winter, only a square cloth from the left shoulder wrapped around its body, in the left shoulder knot, very simple. They wear an octagonal helmet made of wood, and do not wear shoes.

Due to the differences in textile technology and aesthetic concepts, each ethnic group in the mountains has its own distinctive clothing.

The textile technology of the Suya people is the most developed among the alpine ethnic groups. They use the horizontal back machine, a simple method of weaving. Between the ramie threads that they spun, they would weave foreign colored floss or cotton threads into straight lines, zigzags, chevrons, triangles, and diamonds in red, black, and yellow, which were especially bright in color, and were very much the same as the sweater weaving method that is popular nowadays. This also fully demonstrates the wisdom of the Atayal people.

Bunun men to wear leather products mainly: head wearing a leather hat, wearing a deerskin undershirt, shoulders draped in a leather shawl, hands covered with leather cuffs, legs are leather pants. The whole head-to-toe leather costume is really beyond the reach of modern people! The Cao people's deerskin hat is made very chic, by two pieces of water scoop-shaped deer leather sewn together, has the role of protecting the brain, usually not used to roll up with a belt buckle. The old man wore clothes with red cloth as the inner, black cotton cloth as the surface, knee-length. Women's tops are sewn with white cotton, with lace on the sleeves and neckline, and on the front placket. And the cotton cloth used for waist skirt is mostly big red and green color, most of these cotton cloths are exchanged or purchased with Han characters.

The clothes of the Paiwan people clearly reflect the differences in class and rank. Generally speaking, the clothes of the nobles are added with intricate embroidery and especially bright colors. This difference is even more obvious during festivals or feasts. The Paiwan people are also quite good at embroidery, and they tattoo exquisite designs on cloth in harmonious colors.

The Peinan people's clothing is most ornate during the man's adulthood and the woman's marriage. When a man comes of age, he is required to wear a black button-down blouse with fifty buttons and black shorts with lace embroidered on the front crotch and legs of the shorts. Adult men in the chief's family are also required to wear pants, the front leg part of which is embroidered with red, yellow and black embroidery threads, and a betel nut bag is tied around the waist, colored and trimmed with tassels, similar to the Han's exquisite water pipe bags. They also have colorful flower ribbons around their waists. The headman and priests wear hats with eagle feathers when they dress up, and their heads and shoulders are decorated with bands. Women into the wedding with a piece of flower headscarf folded into a triangle, tied on the head, the bib is made of black or red cloth folded into a triangle, each side is added with embroidery, the lower part of the laminated pockets, the top in the blouse, the lower side of the waist skirt down to the waist, very striking. The knee-breeches are made of a pair of squares of cloth with bands sewn around them, which are tied around the calves, and are black or blue in color. The dress of the sorceresses was even more complex, and could be described as a dazzling array of colors.

Americans wear different clothes according to age, infants and young children tend to wear only sleeveless tunic, to adolescence, men wear short skirts, girdle; women wear short-breasted tops, wrapped skirt. Adult men have caps, turbans, long-sleeved underwear, sleeveless tops, corsets, sleeves, waist skirts, belts, pants, leather shawls, fully draped. Women have a turban, undergarment, triangular corset, two-piece waist skirt, belt, and knee pants. Elderly people generally wear black clothes and pants, some also wear pick embroidery feather crown, wear pick embroidered robes draped in red feathers woven shawl.

Yami men a year are basically bare-chested, only with a cloth thong belt to cover the lower work, encountered the festival only to wear their own woven wild hemp war helmet to show the mighty; is the women's attire is only in the waist to hang a piece of square scarf, the following cover to the knee about 5 inches above the place, the chest is also only a piece of square cloth to cover the head of the rituals only to wear a wide-brimmed hat, wearing long-sleeved clothes, clothes longer than the knee, the body is hung with a variety of decorations. all kinds of decorations.

Taiya women's weaving skills are second to none among the "Nine Alpine Clans". By using their own linen cloth and weaving some colorful floss purchased from flatlanders, they were able to weave beautiful cloth with straight lines, curved lines, diamond patterns, and other designs. They are also good at using white shellfish beads as decorations for their clothes, and this kind of clothes full of shellfish beads is called "shellfish clothes", which is very precious and is only worn by girls on their marriage or on big festivals. Nowadays, most of the "Nine Alpine Tribes" have given up hand weaving because of the easy availability of cloth, but the Atayal women still weave their favorite patterns by traditional handwork and have mastered very complicated embroidery techniques, such as "cross-stitch" embroidery, "Cross stitch, satin stitch, straight stitch and appliqué. "Appliqué" is a cut-and-paste appliqué, and its patterns are often similar to those of Atayal wood carvings. They love red and white colors, and later added black and blue colors, so weaving cloth, embroidered clothes are beautiful and bright, and sometimes decorated with shellfish beads, small glass beads. Small metal pieces and so on. Clothes on the body, glittering, very beautiful, attracted Europe, the Americas to the guests are willing to pay a high price to them to buy this unique national costume.

The original costume jewelry may be out of totem worship, but gradually became a purely decorative role. The Alpine ethnic groups, however, attach great importance to adornment. There are many kinds of ornaments, mainly beads, shells, glazed beads, pig's teeth, bear's teeth, feathers, animal skins, flowers, and silver and copper, bamboo tubes and so on. The main types of decorations are clothing, headdresses, earrings, neck ornaments, chest ornaments, arm ornaments, finger ornaments, foot ornaments, waist ornaments, crown ornaments and so on. Men than women's decorations are more, from head to toe very complete, and very gorgeous.

The term men of Thayar and Saikia were known for their shell-bead adornment. They carved shells into small, round, perforated bead grains, strung on twine and arranged in horizontal rows, which they wore on their clothes and were called beaded or shell garments. A piece of bead or shell coat usually takes 10,000 to 20,000 crystal-clear shell beads, which are carefully braided and strung to make it. There are also strings of beads sewn onto cloth, called bead cloth or shellfish cloth, which can be made into clothes or used as currency. Whenever the ritual celebrations, Taiya and Saixia men are wearing rattan hats or leather hats, in the lower edge of the hat ring decorated with colorful buttons shell as a decoration, the ear department made of ear tubes ear rod or studs made of ear discs, the neck hanging shellfish beads threaded into the neck band hanging in front of the chest, the arm set of copper wire coiled into the arm band, the wrist set of bead bracelets or copper bracelets, fingers wearing jade or copper rings, the waist around the bead skirt, calf harness bead belt, copper bells, every step tinkling as if ringing, the comfort of the eyes. Pleasing to the eye. Women dress is also very handsome, commonly used shellfish ear uranium, ear plate or shellfish beads for earrings, neck hanging rich changes in colorful shellfish necklace, beads shine, striking.

Because with the Atayal people as neighbors, and the west and the Han Chinese as neighbors, so the Saixia people's cultural development is very fast. They learned hunting and weaving from the Atayal and farming from the Han. The cloth woven and clothes sewn by Saisiyat women were not inferior to the products of the Atayal women. They like to use big red and deep black with white. In the song and dance festivals, the national costumes worn by young men and women are either bright red with white flower decorations or dark black with red and white flower decorations, which are very eye-catching and eye-catching. The costumes of the Saisiyas have outstanding characteristics among the nine ethnic groups in the high mountains. One of its characteristics is that, regardless of gender, in the solid color blouse should be added to a "lab coat", the lab coat has embroidered style decorated with shellfish beads, brilliant; characteristics of the second is that men and women are wearing a beautiful "head circle", actually a beautiful headdress, some also inserted a few beautiful Some of them also put in a few beautiful bird feathers. During the festival, the beautiful Saixia women pay more attention to their dress, they have to wear in the back, waist, "Pei bell", that is a piece of large committed to the triangle of beautiful brocade (or embroidery sheep), under the tassel dozens of fringe, and the end of the tassel is knotted on the long tube of small silver bells, the "copper bells The "copper bell" is tied at the back. Waist, its tassels just cover the arm. When dancing, the bells jingle and are crisp and clear.

Bunun and Cao and other ethnic groups of men like to stick eagle feathers on the top of the buckskin or sheepskin cap, and then put on a buckskin or leopard skin coat, hand-held shotguns, appearing to be swarthy and rugged, quite a warrior demeanor. At festive dances, both men and women wear the latest and most beautiful dresses. Men roll their headscarves embroidered at both ends, suspend them from their ears with triangles made of luminous shells, wrap them around their necks or drape them over their chests with bead-links made of shells and embellished with glass beads, and Cao men use the tusks of hunted mountain hogs embellished with strips of red, green, and yellow cloth for their arm bands. The women put exquisitely carved antler hairpins on their heads, sometimes with brilliantly colored pheasant feathers on the top end, together with strings of shell and glass beads in rings, which are very bright and colorful. The girls also hung with silver or brass made of hook earrings, and black beads and pottery beads, fruit, rich bushy roots strung with silk thread, made into a necklace hanging in front of the chest, but also interesting.

Men of the Paiwan, Rukai, and Peinan communities like to wear antlers, leopard-tooth tiaras, and animal-skin hats to symbolize honor and wealth. And they hang a shoulder strap diagonally from the right shoulder to the left side of the waist, which is finely crafted on a piece of embroidered cloth adorned with silver coins, onyx, glass beads and copper bells, with betel nut pouches dangling at its end. Around their necks they hang necklaces made of lacewing jade. Lacewing jade is the most valuable jewelry of the Paiwan people, which is a kind of glass beads, coral shells or glazed beads as beautiful as the eyes of dragonflies, strung on silk threads as necklaces, one of which is the largest and the most valuable. Paiwan people put this necklace around the neck or hanging in front of the chest, as a family treasure passed down from generation to generation. Women pay special attention to the headdress, mostly like to use the animal bone hairpin tied color silk on the head, or cloth made of hatband around the head, hatband sewn with a variety of bead ornaments, and then inserted with beautiful feathers, lilies, in order to indicate the status and wealth.

Men of the Amis ethnic group like to use shells as forehead ornaments, tied from the forehead to the back of the head. Black beads and white shells are used as earlobes or tied with small brass bells. They hang strings of shells and beads of various colors on their chests, and slant a nickel band with a flower-tasseled pouch over their shoulders. Participate in the grand ball, but also the waist tied with bells belt, legs tied small copper bells, wearing a feather crown, hand in hand with the song and dance, the scene is very enthusiastic. Women like to use flowers woven into a wreath, worn on the head or around the outside of the headscarf, and adorned with small iron spikes or small brass bells, inserted with silver-plated hairpins. Tied to the forehead with nickel pieces of red linen forehead band, ear pendant deer bone earrings, neck hanging shell strings, onyx bead strings and small copper bell necklace, legs tied with flower floss spikes of the strap, waist tie crash bell, sound and color, very touching.

Yami men's decorative silver bib hat and neck ornaments, earrings, etc., the most prominent is the silver bib, is regarded as the treasure of the family. This silver pocket is a silver coin heated and hammered into thin slices, and then use the circle method even into a birdcage shape, in front of a square eyehole, like a cap helmet. Women's decorations are even more chic, they like to red shells and black beads strung together in the hair on the plate or covered in front of the forehead, with rainbow-colored nautilus made into a cocoon earrings hanging from the ear, with the ma cash or glazed beads, silver dollar pieces strung together, or with the vertebral nerves of the fish made into necklaces hanging in front of the chest. In addition, silver bracelets were worn on the hands and long strings of black wooden beads and white buttons encircled the ankles.

The Paiwan people's notion of hierarchy is most prominent in their clothing and decorations. Nobles' clothes are heavily colored in dark colors, such as black, dark blue, and dark purple; commoners are more likely to use white, blue, and rarely black. Nobles' clothes are commonly embroidered or woven, while commoners are absolutely forbidden to embroider or weave. There are several kinds of clothes that only the nobles can wear, such as men's leopard-skin tunic, shoulder coat, and pants, and women's embroidered robes, skirts, and pants, etc., which are not allowed to be worn by the commoners. Decorations almost all belong to the privileges of the nobles, especially like vulture feather ornaments, leopard teeth cap badge, studded shoulder straps, silver shoulder ornaments, glazed bead necklace, neck ornaments, etc., are the symbol of noble status, the commoners do not have the right to use, and can not afford to buy.

Beijing people's clothing in addition to men and women are different, pay special attention to age and class differences. Men wear only a girth and blouse during their teenage years. During the period of youth service, the clothing restrictions are the strictest, and only light blue cloth loincloths with unsewn edges can be worn. After the service period, clothing restrictions can only be relaxed, in addition to wearing a blouse and waist corset, there are head scarves, shorts, etc. Adult men over 30 years of age more baggy hats, long coats and shawls and so on. Little girls mainly wear short tops and short skirts, and after the age of 16, they can add long skirts, bibs and carcasses. Because of the different ages, the embroidery on the clothes is also different, generally more cross stitch. The wearing of leather clothing is not restricted by age.

Taiwanese Folk Residence Decoration

Taiwanese folk regular HOS houses, called "residences", or "old houses", still exist today, showing the ancient national colors.

The Han Chinese among Taiwanese compatriots basically migrated from Minfu and Guangdong. In order to have a place to settle down, their ancestors built "houses" according to the format of the Minnan folk house architecture, or brick and wood "houses" according to the Cantonese Hakka folk houses. The Minnan people who came to Taiwan earlier, if they "settled" in the mountainous countryside, they would look for the foothills of the Shijiao Mountains with the backs of the cliffs and the high terrain, and the front faces the streams and rivers, so that they could protect themselves from wind and flood, and it was easy for them to draw drinking water, so that they could achieve the purpose of "grass growing in the cracks of the stones, and the brick walls facing the slanting sun".

Taiwanese houses are the most formalized with three-fall and five-fall houses. The format is based on the principle of a rectangular house, with the left and right sides matching each other, aiming for an even and beautiful flat house. First of all, build a good foundation. "Ground firmly, Wan Nian Xing", first dug a few feet deep, filled with stone, soil, solid with lime, covered with tortoise shell-shaped tiles. In the case of the Daidun courtyard, rectangular stone slabs are used. The walls are called wall body stacked red bricks and become, rich people's homes never use the earth corner, or adobe.

Residential roof construction always use two-sided drop type, the house does not have a Yang plate. Therefore, the inside of the roof barrels, curtain handle, tube, beams, etc. are exposed to the outside. Tiles are generally laid directly on top of the juezai. The roof ridge is divided into straight and curved lines, which are called horseback type and swallow tail type. The front and back of the ridge are covered with various colorful porcelain tiles, carved with patterns of figures or birds and flowers. A big red gourd is placed in the house as a means of "suppressing evil spirits". Because of the tiles are ochre, plus the ridge, walls, doors and windows are rich in decorative beauty, the whole house color strong, thick, and subtropical natural scenery cleverly proportional.

The two sides of the main entrance of the house are equipped with cannons to prevent theft and to protect against the enemy. The wood used for the pillars, beams, doors and windows of the hall are all camphor wood produced in Taiwan, carved and painted with colors, elegant and beautiful. The red bricks on the walls of the house and the wall in front of the porch are arranged in various patterns according to the original patterns of the bricks, and the carvings of the doors and windows are integrated into one, which is particularly eye-catching.

Taiwanese homes, on both sides of the protective dragon, or protective Alcove. Inside the door of the main hall, there are lanterns and Tian Gong stove hanging for use in rituals; on both sides of the hall, the board walls are hung with pictures of the Heavenly Palace bestowing blessings. The main hall enshrines the statues of Guanyin, the Saint King of Kaizhang, the Holy Mother of Heaven (i.e. Mazu God), and the statue of Guanyin Buddha. In the center table, arranged four kinds of incense burners, wooden burner table (or iron table).

Some residences also have a "Gongma" hall, with a portrait of the door god on the front door of the hall and various horizontal plaques such as "Filial Piety, Lian, and Fangzheng" hanging above the door of the hall. In the southern district of Taichung City, around the Dawu Mountain area, there is a kind of "Tongan Alley" they all use the earth corner of the house, only the door frame to red brick construction. Every house has a round lion plate hanging over the door to ward off evil spirits.

Sacrifices

Taiwanese aborigines believe that the universe and the earth are governed by countless supernatural and invisible "spirits". The concepts of the aborigines about "spirits" vary from region to region. For example, the aborigines in the north believe that all living things have spirits, but that the human spirit is the first to have divine power; the aborigines in the south believe that everything has a spirit, and therefore there are human spirits, ghosts, and other gods and goddesses. They all believe that there is a difference between living and dead human spirits, and that only dead spirits have divine power. The Bunun and the Cao, in addition to the concept of the soul, have the concepts of a creator god and a manager god, but these two have not yet reached the level of personification. The Paiwan, the Rukai, the Peinan and the Amis already have the concept of multiple gods, and the Paiwan have carved images of gods, which is a concrete manifestation of the personification of God, but their concepts of gods and souls are often confused.

Giving things away

Taiwanese folk, in addition to giving gifts to each other among relatives and friends on New Year's holidays, also carry some gifts to and from social gatherings, which is commonly known as "bringing gifts". As for what to bring, not only to look at the object, the purpose of entertainment and their own economic conditions, but also to pay attention to taboos. In Taiwan, there are some things that can't be done "with a partner":

Towels can't be. Taiwan folk mourning after the completion of the towel sent to the mourners, the intention is to mourn the mourners and the deceased from now on to cut off communication. Taiwan has "send a towel, cut off the root" or "send a towel, away from the root" of the proverb, that is, to send a towel has the meaning of goodbye. Therefore, you can't use a towel as a "band partner".

Fans are not allowed. Fans are used in the summer to fan the cool, once in the fall, it is "autumn fan to see the abandonment". There is a saying in Taiwan: "Send a fan, do not meet." Based on this mentality, the fan should not be used as a "hand-me-down".

Knife and scissors can not. Knives and scissors can hurt people, and it is easier to make people think of "one knife, two cuts" and "one cut, two cuts", so you can't do it "with a partner".

Sweet fruit can not. Sweet fruit that is, rice cake, Taiwan folk every New Year, sweet fruit for the rituals necessary things, only filial piety shall not steam sweet fruit. If the sweet fruit to do "with partner hand", will make people think of the funeral, naturally not. This custom has developed to the present day, some do not do sweet fruit home, sometimes also accept people's sweet fruit, but have to pay a symbolic money, that is to say, to buy, in order to avoid taboos.

The dumplings can not. It is the custom of the bereaved family not to steam sweet fruits, nor to make dumplings, so the dumplings cannot be made "with a partner".

Ducks are not allowed. This is exclusively for "people in the month". A month after the birth of a woman called "month within the people", Taiwan "month within the people" usually eat sesame oil chicken, pork waist, pig liver and other "hot" food, and duck! "Duck is cold in nature and is not suitable for the "man in the moon" to eat. In Taiwan, there are popular sayings such as "a dead duck with a closed mouth" and "a duck in the half of July, I don't know the date of its death", so the "man in the moon" can't use duck as a "band mate". The first time I've seen a duck, I've seen a duck, I've seen a duck, I've seen a duck.

Umbrellas are not allowed. In Taiwanese, "伞" and "散" have the same sound, so if you use umbrellas as "带夥手", it will inevitably cause misunderstandings on the other side.