Lost Places

Category: The Atayal in Taiwan

This is my heartfelt project. Since 2007, I have been exploring the territories of the Atayal. During my time at university, I conducted research on the Atayal in Nanao. I visited their ancient territories, often through multi-day hikes. Unfortunately, much of the knowledge is being lost as the elders pass away. Young Atayal are losing their language and interest.
We aim to contribute to preserving this knowledge by beginning the documentation of a ten-year research project.

Posts

Research in Indigenous Areas

Claudius 2025-05-11

dangerous places (get lost, hornets, dogs, snakes) This article—perhaps best described as semi-scholarly due to its lack of excessive footnotes and artificial language—deals with research on indigenous peoples. It is based on years of reading, several of my academic papers, and above all, practical experience. I will continue to update it regularly. The fundamental problem is summed up in the following statement: If you want to understand us, don’t ask questions—come with us to the mountains, to our old villages.—Atayal woman, manager of Aynomi This sentence will take on greater meaning throughout. I. Research Distance or Research Ignorance This sentence carries

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The Battle to Survive

Claudius 2025-04-25

Renzhiguan is one of the most beautiful spots along Provincial Highway 14, between Puli and Hehuan Mountain. To reach Wushe, travelers must first pass through Renzhiguan, a well-known natural stronghold and strategic pass since ancient times. Located between the Daguang and Ren’ai Bridges, this section of the route follows the Meixi River. As the river flows downstream, it encounters a layer of hard sandstone in this area, and over time, it has carved a steep, narrow canyon with nearly vertical cliffs on both sides. The result is a dramatic gorge landscape, offering excellent cross-sections of the Meixi Sandstone formation. Even before

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Old Wuda And the Revitalization of Culture

Claudius 2025-04-03

dangerous places (get lost, hornets, dogs, snakes) In this part, I will merge two themes: the old village of WuDa, deep in the hinterlands of Nanao, and the question of revitalizing Atayal culture. The depiction is based on many visits to WuDa and numerous conversations with the elderly residents. It also delves deeper into questions of identity. This section is a work in progress. Let’s start with an event: I accompanied a team from German public television to Jingyue, the new settlement. They wanted to film and needed material for a broadcast. They asked me if we could organize some traditional

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Hidden Grief, Lost Souls

Claudius 2025-03-12

Claudius Petzold (copyright) in process When I first visited Indigenous areas in Baling in 2000, I did not have a good impression of them. Belonging to the socially disadvantaged and robbed of their homeland, I often saw them drunk on the streets even in the afternoon. At the same time, I heard stories about their alleged promiscuity—just one of the many justifications for their mistreatment at the time. My opinion slowly changed when I got to know them as mountain guides. As I began my long-term research during my university years in 2016 and worked on my travel guide, I came

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