KAVALAN – 噶瑪蘭族

Location of the Island of Taiwan in East Asia
( ontheworldmap.com )

Island of Taiwan & Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Islands.
Also shown are:
Green Island (Lu Dao) & Orchid Island (Lan Yu).
( cia.gov )

Administrative Divisions of Taiwan
( nouahsark.com )

Traditional geographical distribution of Highland Peoples.
Alternate spellings or names:
Taroko (Truku, Seediq); Yami (Tao)
( wikipedia . org )

Satellite image of Taiwan showing the central mountains. Compare this image with the map (above) to appreciate the geographic distribution of the Highland Peoples.
( geology . com )

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THE KAVALAN PEOPLE – 噶瑪蘭族

  • The Kavalan people (native name Kbalan, meaning “people living in the plains”) are an indigenous ethnic group of Taiwan with a long and distinct cultural history.
  • The Kavalan are one of Taiwan’s officially recognized indigenous peoples — specifically a plains (pingpu) indigenous group.
  • As of recent government data, their population is quite small (around 1,400–1,500 people).
  • Traditionally they lived on the Lanyang Plain in what is now Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan.
  • Originally the dominant indigenous group in the Yilan Plain, the Kavalan lived by farming, fishing, and hunting, with distinct seasonal and subsistence practices tied to land and sea.
  • During the 19th century, expanding Han Chinese settlement and Qing government pressure forced many Kavalan to migrate south and east to Hualien and Taitung Counties along Taiwan’s East Coast.
  • In 1878, the Kavalan and their allies, the Sakizaya, fought Qing forces in the Karewan (Galeewan) incident, an uprising that ended in defeat, loss of life, and further displacement of the communities.
  • After decades of assimilation pressures, the Kavalan were officially recognized by the Taiwanese government as an indigenous group in 2002 — becoming the 11th recognized indigenous community.
  • Traditional Kavalan culture featured banana fiber weaving, a unique craft used to make clothing, hats, and everyday items — a heritage skill now recognized as part of local intangible cultural heritage.
  • Their traditional dress tends to be simple, with practical garments historically made from plant fibers.
  • Their spiritual beliefs traditionally include animism — honoring nature and ancestral spirits — though many Kavalan today also practice Christianity.
  • Efforts to revive ceremonial life include festivals like harvest and ocean rituals that reconnect communities to ancestral traditions and reaffirm identity after generations of assimilation.
  • In recent decades, Kavalan communities — especially in Fengbin Township’s Xinshe Village (known in their language as pateRungan) — have been actively promoting culture and language, including youth-focused cultural activities.
  • Recognition of indigenous intellectual property rights and community-run cultural associations are helping to support language learning and traditional arts.
  • https://www.taipeitimes.com
  • https://www.culturalsurvival.org
  • https://digitalmaster.knsh.com.tw
  • https://insight.ipcf.org.tw
  • https://grokipedia.com
  • https://ianthro.ioe.sinica.edu.tw
  • https://the.nmth.gov.tw
  • https://www.3people.com.tw
  • https://www.newton.com.tw
  • https://wtfna.org
  • https://catalog.digitalarchives.tw
  • https://www.taipeitimes.com
  • https://en.wikipedia.org
  • https://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw
  • https://ab.hl.gov.tw
  • https://abda.hl.gov.tw
  • https://www.taipeitimes.com
  • https://indigpeople.wordpress.com
  • https://www.taipeitimes.com
  • https://www.cbc.gov.tw
  • https://www.twcenter.org.tw

  • EASY SEARCH FOR MORE LINKS ! . . . . .

  • scholar.google.com – The Kavalan People – 噶瑪蘭族 @ Google Scholar
  • youtube.com – The Kavalan People – 噶瑪蘭族 @ You Tube . com
  • images.google.com – The Kavalan People – 噶瑪蘭族 @ Google Images

  • The Language of the Kavalan People – 噶瑪蘭族的語言

  • The Kavalan language is part of the East Formosan branch of the Austronesian language family. Once spoken widely in northeastern Taiwan, it has become critically endangered with only a few dozen fluent speakers today and most knowledge residing among elders and in revitalization efforts.

  • Community initiatives for saving the Kavalan Language include language proficiency tests and teaching programs to revive and preserve the language.

  • EASY SEARCH FOR MORE LINKS ! . . . .

  • scholar.google.com – The Language of the Kavalan People – 噶瑪蘭族的語言 @ Google Scholar
  • youtube.com – The Language of the Kavalan People – 噶瑪蘭族的語言 @ You Tube . com
  • images.google.com – The Language of the Kavalan People – 噶瑪蘭族的語言 @ Google Images

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NOTE : This site contains links to our ”favorite” and “most useful” websites . . . but the CloudBridge Project does not endorse or guarantee any of the products or services available through the links on the pages of this website.

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LATEST PAGE UPDATE: January 15 , 2026 .
最後一次更新時間為:  2026 / 01 / 15 .

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