The Paiwan and Rukai peoples inhabit the mountains of southern Taiwan, in the areas around Pingtung and Taitung. They are aristocratic societies with hereditary chiefs and a rich tradition of carved woodwork and stone sculpture featuring distinctive motifs — particularly the hundred-pacer snake (Svinga), which features in Paiwan cosmology as a protector and ancestor of the chiefly class. Paiwan craft traditions, particularly carved wooden vessels and slate architecture, are among the most visually striking of any indigenous group in Taiwan.

The traditional Paiwan village of Tjuvecekadan, reconstructed in Pingtung, and the Rukai settlements around Wutai, offer access to these cultures in a form that is both accessible and reasonably respectful. The Makazayazaya Spring Ceremony and other seasonal observances are worth researching if your visit coincides with them.