Ketagalan Culture Center 凱達格蘭文化館 – Learn More about Taiwan’s Indigenous Cultures

Before I get into this museum, I think it is good that you have a background of the indigenous tribes in Taiwan and where they are located. Most of the recognized tribes now live in Taiwan’s mountains and there are very few plains aborigines left.

Map of Recognized Indigenous Tribes in Taiwan:

List of Recognized Indigenous Tribes in Taiwan:

Our Journey:

I have been to the Ketagalan Culture Center once and I was impressed. It is a great place to learn more about Taiwan’s indigenous culture. I highly recommend visiting. The whole visit should take you less than an hour.

Entrance to the museum. Apparently, there are still some artifacts left from the Beitou Shinto Shrine 北投神社 behind the building, but I did not check.

Another view of the entrance with colorful tiles.

The Ketagalan Culture Center is a cultural art and education center for showcasing and promoting indigenous culture. In addition to displaying traditional daily utensils, musical instruments, ceremonial supplies, and contemporary art of the indigenous peoples, the Center also has special cultural galleries for the Taiwanese plains indigenous peoples group and Ketagalan tribes. Each year, the Center launches a special series of exhibitions, lectures, and musical and dance performances. Through the diversity of exhibitions, performances, and current event discussions, the Center hopes to integrate humanity, nature, and contemporary arts to jointly construct a cultural base for all Indigenous peoples.

Floor guide to the building.

The front entrance includes a small drink shop.

When I visited, there were colorful outfits from indigenous tribes all over Taiwan. These are traditional clothes from the Atayal Tribe 泰雅族 in northern Taiwan.

Traditional garb from tribes in the central mountain range – the Tsou, Bunun, Paiwan, Rukai, Seediq, and Saisiyat Tribe.

Origin of Exhibition
Taiwan’s indigenous people have interacted with foreign cultures over many years, and the costumes of each ethnic group show diverse and rich features and meanings. Presenting the indigenous costumes collection of the Ketagalan Culture Center, the permanent exhibition area has renewed its display to extend the exhibition “Time of Ceremonial Attire II.”
“Ceremonial attire” is just like special occasion dresses nowadays. The indigenous peoples would dress themselves circumspectly in rituals or festive events to attend worship and signifying identities. Indigenous costumes are unique for the exquisite weaving and embroidery skills of tribal women, who would assimilate legends and their observations of nature into various fabric and embroidery patterns, which have progressed through hundreds of years and become more and more splendid and valuable.
Taiwan’s five mountain ranges – Central Mountain Range, Xueshan Range, Alishan Range, Yushan Range, and Hai’an Range – are used as background for the “Time of Ceremonial Attire” exhibition, according to regional divisions. For the indigenous people, mountains are not only the places of birth and their origins but also the common resting places of ancestral spirits. Mountains are also used by the indigenous people to mark the traditional indigenous areas.
The exhibition has several sections, featuring “Taiwan Indigenous Areas,” “Era of Wearing Plant Materials and Animal Skins,” “Era of Ceremonial Attire,” “Reappearance of Pingpu Clothing,” “Craftsmanship Inheritance,” and “The Ketagalan.” Using a costume-evolving timeline, the exhibition tries to introduce the meanings of patterns, which signify interpretations of the holy mountains as well as myths and legends of various aboriginal groups, and to lead the audience to appreciate the beauty of Indigenous costumes.

Garb from the Rukai Tribe 魯凱族 and Paiwan tribe 排灣族 from the central mountain range in southern Taiwan.

Garb from Alishan and Yushan – Bunun Tribe 布農族.

Clothing from the Saaroa Tribe 拉阿魯哇族 in the mountains of Kaohsiung.

Red clothing from the Bunun Tribe 布農族 and Kanakanavu tribe 卡那卡那富族.

Red robe from the Taroko Tribe 太魯閣族 on the left and Seediq Tribe 賽德克族 in the center.

Garb from the Saisiyat Tribe 賽夏族 in the mountains of Hsinchu.

Kavalan 噶瑪蘭族 clothing from Hualien.

Puyuma 卑南族 clothing on the left and Amis 阿美族 clothing in the center.

Sakizaya 撒奇萊雅族 indigenous clothing from Hualien.

Puyuma Headbands on display.

Traditional weaving spindles on display used to make traditional clothing.

View down to the first floor.

Map of Katagelen sites around Taipei.

“Taiwan is an island nation surrounded by warm seawater. The Amis people (also known as the Pangcah) residing on the east coast, have a lifestyle closely tied to the ocean. Their daily diet and offerings for rituals come from the intertidal zones and estuaries. The ocean is a critical resource for gathering and a sacred space that carries the ethnic knowledge and wisdom. This exhibition features the artistic creations of the Amis people from the Makota’ay community in Fengbin Township, Hualien County. It depicts the daily dining scenes of Makota’ay, the collective fishing and feasting (pakelang) that follows weddings, funerals, and celebrations, and the annual sea worship ceremony (misacepo’). The exhibition addresses the current issue of marine resource depletion.
In the coastal Amis language, “adihay ko foting” means “a lot of fish” and carries the blessing of an abundant catch. By exploring the traditional gathering culture of indigenous peoples and contemporary environmental restoration efforts, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how we can protect the future of the ocean.”

Seawater exhibit.

Traditional seafood cuisine.

Wooden fish exhibit.

A small amphitheater.

More ocean exhibits including a fish trap.

Shells on display.

More displays talk about how ecological conservation is embedded in Indigenous culture.

Be sure to check out our full guide to Beitou here.
You can also check out our Taipei Museum Guide here.

You can also see our full guide to Taiwan here.