At an Ilisin Harvest Festival

Cipuwa, Chishang Township, Taiwan

Aug 8, 2026

The Ilisin or Harvest Festival is celebrated by the Amis community, sometimes jointly but more often by each village separately. Outsiders are not always allowed in and even if they are, some of the sacred ceremonies are still off limits. Excited to have finally found a festival nearby, I set off early with fingers crossed, hoping to be allowed in. Even the blistering sun cannot wilt my jaunty strides.

My fears of being barred are quickly put to rest. I am welcomed warmly and introduced to many of the members milling around. Smiles and nods of welcome greet me as I go click happy. The dresses are a riot of colors and of many different kinds, signifying the Amis of different regions.

There is a giant wooden mortar and pestle placed in the center, signifying the millet and rice crops that this festival celebrates. I do not see any rituals or rites performed but soon the music comes on and they begin to dance. Men, women, children, they all join in. They dance in two concentric circles around the mortar, the elders forming the inner circle. This is no solemn rite but a joyous celebration!

One woman wends her way between the dancers. She carries a bottle of rice wine in her left hand and a bamboo cup in her right. From time to time she stops in front of a dancer, pours some wine into the cup, stamps her right foot thrice on the ground and brings up the cup with a flourish. She sweeps it in a long arc from the ground up to the person in front. She is honoring the person. The honored one takes the cup in both hands, bows, drinks it off and presents it back to the woman.

As the morning winds down, the crowd now forms around the mortar. Cooked rice is brought in a huge wooden vat and some is ladled into the mortar. The pair of pestles are anointed with oil and two men pound the rice, alternating to create a muffled drumbeat. The glutinous mixture is then taken out and a smattering of sugar added before being rolled in ground peanuts. Everyone is given a piece. I imagine it is considered blessed now, an offering from the gods. It is chewy with the peanuts adding a crunchy texture; it is strangely tasty.

While I have been wandering around taking photos, tables have been laid out and dishes of food placed. There are at least a couple of dozen trays laid out – shrimp, pork, chicken, tofu, vegetables, wild ferns sweet potatoes, fish and others besides. A queue forms quickly. I am urged to fill my bowl as well and enjoy it thoroughly. The rice wine that had made the rounds earlier sits on another table along with homemade mulberry juice. Chatter and laughter floats to the rafters as we eat our fill.

The dancers take a break now; they are no doubt happy to shed their costumes in this cloying heat. Later in the afternoon, young archers try their luck with bows and arrows. Hunting used to be a traditional skill in all tribes once upon a time. The old ways are long gone now and it is at these ceremonies that the young folk get a chance to try it out. Interestingly, one of the targets is a picture of a boar, rather than the usual bullseye. We cheer as one of the young hopefuls spear the coveted section near the head.

This was a wonderful event to be able to see and I am thrilled that I could! But there is one much larger celebration taking place at the same time in the mountains to the north – an authentic Ilisin ceremony officiated by venerated village elders. Attendance is by invitation only and I had none. A couple of days ago I met a Taiwanese amateur photographer who had been invited to take photographs and videos at this Ilisin.