Caroling in the Truku mountains
The Aboriginal village of Skadang, which is only accessible through a five-to-six hour trek up 1,000m, revived its Christmas festivities last year after a four decades absence
By Han Cheung / Staff reporter
The sounds of Christmas caroling were absent from the mountain village of Skadang for 40 years. After its Aboriginal Truku inhabitants relocated in 1979 to Tmbarah village near the Taroko National Park Visitor Center, all Christmas activities were transferred to the new church.
Today, Skadang (better known as Datong, 大同) is still accessible only by foot, and we make the five-hour trek up about 1,000m in elevation to visit the settlement of six or seven households that rely on generators and solar panels for electricity. My artist friend had spent time here through the Tree Tree Tree Person Residency Project (森人藝駐計劃) and we were invited up to celebrate Christmas a week early since the actual festivities are held in Tmbarah.