Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park Song & Dance Program: <Hla'alua Tribe ~ Returning to the Land of the Rising Sun>

Hla'alua Tribe - Sacred Shell Festival
Legend has it that the tribe's original homeland was Hlasunga in the east, where they once lived with the dwarves. The dwarves regarded the sacred shell (takiaru) as the dwelling place of the Ancestral Spirit (Shell Spirit) and held an annual grand ritual to pray for peace, abundant harvests, and tribal prosperity. When the tribe left their original homeland, the dwarves gifted them a jar of sacred shells. The tribe continues to hold the "Sacred Shell Ritual" (miatungusu) just as the dwarves did. The most important part of the ritual is the "Offering of Wine to the Sacred Shell": the sacred shell is soaked in wine, and its color change is observed. If it turns red, it signifies that the Ancestral Spirit is intoxicated, meaning the ritual has been successfully completed.