The ancestors of the Gaoshan belonged to the Min-Yue people (inhabiting part of present-day Fujian and Guangdong provinces) and, more remotely, to the Baiyue of ancient China. The history of the Gaoshan is closely related to that of Taiwan, because the Gaoshan are the aboriginals of that island. According to historical documents of the Three Kingdoms (220–265), their ancestors were divided into tribes, the members of which were called “Milin.” Public affairs were administered by the tribe members themselves. Agriculture and livestock husbandry appeared in the 7th century, complementing hunting and fishing. The historical records of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) describe their trade with the coastal inhabitants of mainland China. Between 1563 and 1603, the Japanese army invaded Taiwan several times, but it finally was defeated by the military forces of the imperial Ming. In 1624, the Netherlands’ army intruded into southwest Taiwan, where it established fortresses and occupied the land. The Spanish army made incursions into the northern part of the island in 1626; however, the Dutch vanquished the Spaniards in 1642 and replaced them in northern Taiwan. An uprising led by Guo Huaiyi against Dutch domination in 1652 failed. In 1661, a former general of the imperial Ming, Zheng Chenggong, better known as Koxinga (1624–1662), setting out from Xiamen and Jinmen on the mainland, succeeded in landing his army on Taiwan. After nine months of fierce fighting, the Dutch invaders were compelled to lay down their arms.
Taiwanese indigenous peoples (formerly Taiwanese aborigines), also known as Native Taiwanese, Formosan peoples, Austronesian Taiwanese, Yuanzhumin or Gaoshan people, are the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, with the nationally recognized subgroups numbering about 569,000 or 2.38% of the island‘s population. This total is increased to more than 800,000 if the indigenous peoples of the plains in Taiwan are included, pending future official recognition. When including those of mixed ancestry, such a number is possibly more than a million. Academic research suggests that their ancestors have been living on Taiwan for approximately 6,500 years. A wide body of evidence suggests Taiwan’s indigenous peoples maintained regular trade networks with regional cultures before the Han Chinese colonists began settling on the island from the 17th century. Taiwanese indigenous peoples are Austronesians, with linguistic and cultural ties to other Austronesian peoples in the region.[7] Taiwan is also the origin and linguistic homeland of the oceanic Austronesian expansion whose descendant groups today include the majority of the ethnic groups throughout many parts of East and Southeast Asia as well as Oceania such as Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Madagascar, Philippines, Micronesia, Island Melanesia and Polynesia. The Chams and Utsul of contemporary central and southern Vietnam and Hainan respectively are also a part of the Austronesian family.
Gaoshan ethnic minority has a population of about 0.4 million. Most of them live on Taiwan Island, but about 4,500 live in Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces in China. They have no written language. Their spoken language is related to the Indonesian/Malaysian family. As they have lived with Han people for a long time, many of them can speak southern Min language. They like to sing folk songs and tell tales. They believe in strength of spirit, ancestors and totem. They think that after a person’s death, his soul stays to protect his descendants. They have rituals for activities like harvesting, sowing, fishing and hunting. Wizardry is widespread among them. They believe in strength of spirit, ancestors and totem. They think that after a person’s death, his soul stays to protect his descendants. They have rituals for activities like harvesting, sowing, fishing and hunting. Wizardry is widespread among them. There are several taboos of Gaoshan ethnic minority. During harvest season, they are forbidden to communicate with outsiders or step in the fields of others. When hunting, men should not touch things of hemp, or they may be lost or hurt. Women cannot use guns and other weapons, while men cannot use women’s loom.
Gaoshan Ethnic Minority is an ethnic group inhabiting Taiwan. The Gaoshan are the aborigines of Taiwan, mainly living in mountainous areas, flat valleys on the east coast of Taiwan Island and the Isle of Lanyu in Taiwan. Some inhabit coastal areas, such as Fujian Province and Zhejiang Province in coastal areas of Mainland China. Due to the difference in regions and languages, Gaoshan ethnic Minority is also divided into 13 subgroups, including Amei, Taiya, Paiwan, Lukai, Beinan, Caoren, Saixia and Dawu. In addtion, there are more than 100,000 Pingpu people who have been deeply influenced by the Han nationality. In history, there are 10 subgroups among Pingpu people, living in western, northern, southwestern plateaus and coastal areas of Taiwan. Pingpu people lived together and get married to the Han nationality for a long time and absorbed the culture of the Han nationality from early on. After the 19th century, they have basically been considered the same as the Han nationality. The living areas of Gaoshan ethnic group enjoy tropical and subtropical climates, with a large coverage of forests, so they are often called “forest treasury”. Gaoshan people have their own language, belonging to Indonesian branch of Austronesian language family. Their language can be roughly divided into three subgroups, including Qinhuai, Cao and Paiwan. Gaoshan people don’t have their own scripts. Gaoshan people living in Mainland China mainly use Chinese letters. Gaoshan people living in Taiwan have their very own unique arts and culture, with abundant oral literature such as myths, legend, folk songs, etc. Gaoshan people mainly live on farming and supplement on fishing and hunting. Their handicraft skills include weaving, bamboo weaving, carving, vine weaving, bamboo cutting, porcelain, etc.
The Gaoshan people are one of the ancient nationalities and one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People’s Republic of China. Gaoshan people mainly engaged in agricultural and fishing industry. The Gaoshan people, about 494,107 in total, account for less than 2 per cent of the 17 million inhabitants, based on statistics published by Taiwan authorities in June 1982 of Taiwan Province. The majority of them live in mountain areas and the flat valleys running along the east coast of Taiwan Island, and on the Isle of Lanyu. About 1,500 live in such major cities as Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan and in Fujian Province on the mainland. Taiwan Island, home to the Gaoshans, is subtropical in climate with abundant precipitation and fertile land yielding two rice crops a year (three in the far south). Being one of China’s major sugar producers, Taiwan also grows some 80 kinds of fruit, including banana, pineapple, papaya, coconut, orange, tangerine, longan and areca. Taiwan’s oolong and black teas are among its most popular items for export. The Taiwan Mountain Range runs from north to south through the eastern part of the island, which is 55 per cent forested. Over 70 per cent of the world’s camphor comes from Taiwan. Short and rapid rivers flowing from the mountains provide abundant hydropower, and the island is blessed with rich reserves of gold, silver, copper, coal, oil, natural gas and sulfur. Salt is a major product of the southeast coast, and the offshore waters are ideal fishing grounds.
Taiwan, previously referred to as Isla Formosa, has a deep and rich history of thousands of years, dating back to the days of Taiwan aboriginal inhabitants. Recent research suggests that they have inhabited the island for over 5,500 years. Indeed, there are some theories to suggest that it was the Taiwanese indigenous people that first made their way over to the South Pacific islands in Polynesia and Melanesia. This would make the Taiwan aboriginals some impressive early explorers! Today, Taiwanese aborigines make up 2% of the Taiwan population. They are the indigenous inhabitants of Taiwan, years before the Han Chinese arrived in the 17th century. The Gaoshan people “admire the full moon”. Gaoshan people live in the mountainous regions of Taiwan Province. At Mid-Autumn Festival, with the bright moon riding high in the sky and the radiance lighting up the earth, they, dressed in national costumes, sit around together, singing and dancing, drinking and admiring the full moon, sharing the happiness of a family union.
About 1,500 live in such major cities as Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan and in Fujian Province on the mainland. The Gaoshans do not have their own script, and their spoken language belongs to the Indonesian group of the Malay/Polynesian language family. The Gaoshans are mainly farmers growing rice, millet, taro and sweet potatoes. Those who live in mixed communities with Han people on the plains work the land in much the same way as their Han neighbors. For those in the mountains, hunting is more important, while fishing is essential to those living along the coast and on small islands. The Gaoshans are monogamous and patriarchal in family system, though the Amei tribe still retains some of the vestiges of the matriarchal practice. Commune heads are elected from among elderly women and families are headed by women, with the eldest daughter inheriting the family property and male children married off into the brides’ families. In the Paiwan tribe, either the eldest son or daughter can be heir to the family property. All the Amei young men and some of the Paiwan youths have to live in a communal hall for a certain period of time before they are initiated into manhood at a special ceremony. In A.D. 230, two generals of the Kingdom of Wu led a 10,000-strong army across the Taiwan Straits, and brought back several thousand natives from the island. At that time, the ancestors of the Gaoshans belonged to several primitive, matriarchal tribes. Public affairs were run collectively by all members. Their tools included axes, adzes and rings made of stone and arrowheads and spearheads made of deer antlers. Animal husbandry was still in an embryonic stage.
The Gaoshan people, about 300,000 in total, account for less than 2 per cent of the 17 million inhabitants, based on statistics published by Taiwan authorities in June 1982 of Taiwan Province. The majority of them live in mountain areas and the flat valleys running along the east coast of Taiwan Island, and on the Isle of Lanyu. About 1,500 live in such major cities as Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan and in Fujian Province on the mainland. The Gaoshans do not have their own script, and their spoken language belongs to the Indonesian group of the Malay/Polynesian language family. Taiwan Island, home to the Gaoshans, is subtropical in climate with abundant precipitation and fertile land yielding two rice crops a year (three in the far south). Being one of China’s major sugar producers, Taiwan also grows some 80 kinds of fruit, including banana, pineapple, papaya, coconut, orange, tangerine, longan and areca. Taiwan’s oolong and black teas are among its most popular items for export. The Taiwan Mountain Range runs from north to south through the eastern part of the island, which is 55 per cent forested. Over 70 per cent of the world’s camphor comes from Taiwan. Short and rapid rivers flowing from the mountains provide abundant hydropower, and the island is blessed with rich reserves of gold, silver, copper, coal, oil, natural gas and sulfur. Salt is a major product of the southeast coast, and the offshore waters are ideal fishing grounds.
Ceremony to Celebrate the Harvest
Gaoshan people have a lot of festivals. However, Gaoshan ethic group also worships spirit, which is thought to flood in everything in the universe, ranging from the sun, the moon, the stars, floating cloud, rosy clouds, lightning in the vast sky to mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, birds, beasts, worms, and fish on the earth. So their traditional festivals are all religious and basically take the form of offering sacrifices. The typical ceremonies include cultivation ceremony, seeding ceremony, weeding ceremony, harvest ceremony, the fifth anniversary ceremony, ancestor’s spirit ceremony, fishing and hunting ceremony, short spirit ceremony, ship ceremony, flying fish ceremony, etc. Among them, the harvest ceremony is celebrated by all Gaoshan people excluding Yamei people. As the grandest festival among Gaoshan ethnic group, the harvest ceremony is equivalent to the Spring Festival of the Han nationality. It is held in the harvest season, in July or August of the lunar calendar, lasting 6-10 days. Because different tribes live in different environment where different crops are planted, the maturing period and harvest period may vary with each other, which leads to different celebrating time. However, they have got some common features: When each link in the harvest chain (Gather in, taste the fresh grains, put in storage, etc.) starts or finishes, the ceremonies of offering sacrifices will be held to pray to the ancestor gods for their blessing on a smooth reaping process and another harvest season in the next year. After the rites, Gaoshan people would eat, sing and dance together, play games and hold bonfire party. People cheer and drink, totally immersed in the happiness of the festival.
Gaoshan people are good at singing and dancing ever from the ancient times. Almost all the dinners, get-togethers or big activities cannot do without the lyrical songs and dance. Gaoshan dance has distinct primitive color, simulating, reflecting and reproducing those movement and scenes of fishing, hunting, and farming. Though its content is rich and colorful, its forms are mostly collective dance. The number of participants varies from dozens of to several hundred, even to thousands of. Often with the bonfire as the center, people drink, sing, and dance. Forming a circle hand in hand, people stamp their feet, jump, shake their bodies, and wave their hands rhythmically. The vigorous, beautiful and passionate scene makes people acclaim it as the acme of perfection. The “hair swinging dance” features such a kind of traditional dance showing Gaoshan people’s bold, unstrained, and optimistic spirit. The “hair swinging dance” is one kind of its unique dance of Yamei women. Generally, the number of participants is not restricted, but long hair is required. When in dance, the women form a line and wave their bodies and hair slowly, with their arms held together, their hands placed on the chest, the steps moving back and forth. With the quickening of the melody of the music, the swing range of the body and head is growing larger and larger, and the dance gradually enters into the climax: stepping forward, bending their knees and waists, swinging their long hair forward; stepping backwards, straightening their waists, swinging their hair rapidly. The movement goes round like that again and again, while the hair frequently strokes the ground like flickering willow branches in the wild wind. Highlighting the long dark hair, the dance contains strong primitive vitality, and has been well received by Gaoshan people all the time.
Gaoshan Ethnic Minority Has A Population Of About 0.4 Million. Most Of Them Live On Taiwan Island, But About 4,500 Live In Fujian And Zhejiang Provinces In China. They Have No Written Language. Their Spoken Language Is Related To The Indonesian/Malaysian Family. As They Have Lived With Han People For A Long Time, Many Of Them Can Speak Southern Min Language. They Like To Sing Folk Songs And Tell Tales. They Believe In Strength Of Spirit, Ancestors And Totem. They Think That After A Person’s Death, His Soul Stays To Protect His Descendants. They Have Rituals For Activities Like Harvesting, Sowing, Fishing And Hunting. Wizardry Is Widespread Among Them. Gaoshan People Regard The Yearly Harvest Festival As The Grandest Day. They Hold Dinners And Have Various Entertainments. Gaoshan Ethnic Minority Likes Music And Dancing. When They Get Together For Festivals, They Play Flutes And Perform The Hair Dance Or The Hand-In-Hand Dance.
Indigenous Peoples Literature 
