Learn about and regain the relationship between man and nature at the Forest Culture Museum. If you stay overnight, you’ll experience a traditional way of life without electricity — the local community calls it the “Learning from the Wordless Civilization and Electricity-free Knowledge” tribal program. There are no fences, walls, structures, or electricity-powered facilities in the tribe, making it a proper natural forest museum. “The wider your heart, the bigger the Forest Cultural Museum,” as museum curator Aliman always says. “There are no doors to the forest museum, the door is hidden in the people’s hearts!” Anyone with a heart to protect the land can enter.

The Luanshan Forest Cultural Museum sits in the pristine forest above the Sazasa Tribe in Yanping Township, Taitung County, home to the most well-preserved mixed banyan and Chinese parasol tree forest and the very heart of the local Bunun community. When corporations once sought to develop this mountainous land into a columbarium, Aliman took out bank loans and borrowed from relatives and friends to preserve his ancestral land, believing that persisting in doing what is right would keep it safe. He hopes to revive the original culture and knowledge of the indigenous people through the tribe’s way of thinking — saving Taiwan’s last untouched banyan forest while preserving ancient forest wisdom, and using the land for spiritual healing, learning, and education. That’s why it’s called the “Forest Cultural Museum.”

Rather than a fixed tourist spot, it offers a multi-faceted experience that goes straight into the heart of the forest. Led by indigenous guides, it’s Taiwan’s only museum where visitors can immerse themselves in indigenous life. Admission is by reservation only, booked online at least three days in advance, with two options: a "Half-day Morning without Meals" and a "Full-day with Meals" journey. Both include a visit to the "Walking Tree" family to hear tales from the Luanshan Tribe and learn how the Bunun people, originally from the high-altitude Central Mountain Range, migrated to the lower Coastal Mountain Range and rediscovered a balanced relationship with the forest.

From the observation deck, visitors take in views of the East Rift Valley, Highland, Chulu Ranch, Xiaohuang Mountain, and the breathtaking seven-tiered Beinan River steps, along with insights into the museum’s layout, the interior of Bunun houses, the history of the Sazasa Luanshan Tribe, and local environmental and lifestyle ethics. The visit also features a Bunun welcome ceremony with freshly grilled charcoal-barbecued meat, the Hunter’s sports drink, and a taste of millet wine.

The journey opens with a simple ceremony honoring the spirits of the land, followed by an exploration of Bunun cultural heritage — including how the tribe cleverly used forest resources for everyday needs like storing food. This supports leaving no trace in the forest, eco-friendly tourism, and a natural forest spa experience, along with a chance to relive childhood memories of climbing trees and swinging from branches.

Day-trip guests get to savor Bunun forest flavors, especially mouth-watering mountain boar cooked over an open fire, alongside traditional wood-fired dishes made from locally sourced wild vegetables and the comforting taste of home-style recipes. Afterward, guests join in making mochi together. The day closes with a tree-planting experience embodying the forest conservation spirit of the trip — every visitor plants a small sapling before departing, leaving a mark of hope, and can take a photo with their tree as a lasting memento.

The Forest Cultural Museum isn’t a typical tourist spot, nor does it follow the usual B&B or farm-stay model. Established under the Original Village Rebuilding Cultural and Educational Foundation, it systematically safeguards the tribe’s precious banyan trees through mutual benefit and shared prosperity, serving as a platform for environmental education, cultural reconstruction, inter-ethnic exchange, tribal study tours, wilderness contemplation, and ecological experience. Come immerse yourself in an experience that engages all five senses, and join in giving back to this land.