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Xiang Tian Lake

2025-09-09
886-37-823115
苗栗縣南庄鄉東河村向天湖
Located in Donghe Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County, it currently has more than 20 households and a population of around 200 people, making it the largest tribe among the Saisiyat people. According to legend, several hundred years ago, this place was a lake, and the ancient people named it "Xiangtian Lake" or "Yangtian Lake" because they could see the sky when looking up from the lake. Later, due to the erosion of the upstream branch of the Daodong River, the lake was cut through, and the lake water was lost, leaving behind a fertile lake bed that became a mountain basin. The indigenous people who moved here developed it into farmland. Xiangtian Lake is 738 meters above sea level, separated from Luchang by the Guangtian Gaoshan ridge to the southeast, and connected to Penglai Village to the southwest. The mountain below to the northwest is Nanjiang Village and Donghe Village. Guangtian Gaoshan is a branch of the Jiaolishan mountain range. The east side is cut and eroded by the Daodong River, with steep cliffs; the west side has a gentle slope and a wider ridge. Xiangtian Lake is located in the west side of the mountain, with terraced fields widely distributed in the basin, surrounded by cedar forests, miscellaneous woods, and kaimu bamboo forests, with a vibrant green atmosphere. Due to its higher elevation, it is often shrouded in mist and clouds during the winter and spring seasons, like entering a fairyland. Xiangtian Lake holds a significant festival every two years, and a grand festival every ten years, known as the矮靈祭 (Dwarf Spirit Festival), which has profound historical significance and a primitive, mysterious atmosphere, and is the most important festival for the Saisiyat people. The festival is held around the 15th day of the 10th lunar month every two years, lasting for 4 days and 3 nights. The Saisiyat people hope that the public will approach the festival with sincerity and respect for indigenous culture, and work together to preserve the original appearance of the矮靈祭. The origin of the矮靈祭: In the past, small black dwarfs, less than a meter tall, possessed a range of skills. They taught the Saisiyat people agricultural methods and ways to worship gods, allowing the Saisiyat people to have stable living skills. Every year, during harvest time, the Saisiyat people would invite the dwarfs to their villages to celebrate the harvest. Gradually, however, the invited dwarfs began to behave improperly towards the Saisiyat women. During one harvest festival, the Saisiyat people designed a trap that killed the dwarfs. After this, their crops no longer yielded a bountiful harvest. To console the deceased dwarfs, they began to hold the "矮靈祭" in the middle of the 10th lunar month. This festival has now been modified to a small festival every two years and a grand festival every ten years.
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