Located on the southeastern flank of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range, Yanping Township looks across the East Rift Valley towards Taitung’s Coastal Mountain Range. About 96 percent of this landlocked region is mountainous, with an average elevation of over 400 meters. Its major inhabitants are the Bunun people, an ethnic group that’s lived for generations in the Luye and Luliao river basins and embodies a resilient mountain culture.
Among Yanping’s five main settlements, Hongye Village is the most famous. In 1968, the Hongye Little League baseball team defeated Japan’s all-star team in international competition, launching the Bunun to international notoriety and establishing an enduring symbol of Yanping pride. The local economy is mainly rooted in agriculture, though cultural tourism and other sustainable initiatives are growing. Immersive cultural experiences at the Bunun Leisure Farm and the Vakangan Hot Spring Park, which combines geothermal energy with natural ecology, both showcase the innovative transformations taking place in the Yanping mountain region.
(Photo Credit: Ean Chen)
