Dear Friend,

	Panu Kapamumu of the Thao tribe

Earthquakes are common in Taiwan. But in September 1999, a major earthquake caused a lot of damage to the central region of the island. This area is home to several of Taiwan’s aboriginal tribes. Panu Kapamumu of the Thao tribe showed our group the effects of the earthquake, still evident almost four years later.

Most striking was Lalu Island in the middle of Sun Moon Lake. The Thao people consider this island to be the home of their ancestral spirits, so no one but members of the Thao tribe are allowed to set foot on the island. (We took a boat to the island and stood on a separate dock to take photos.) A temple used to stand on the island, but it was destroyed by the earthquake. The trees and the stone steps were damaged, too.

On the boat ride back from the island, we saw “four-hand” nets, which the Thao tribes use in their traditional way of fishing. Once we were back on the mainland, we visited Sun Moon Village and met two of the six priestesses of the Thao tribe!

Lalu Island		A traditional “four-hand” net		Two Thao priestesses

Your friend,

Carla