Cherry blossoms and butterflies at Adiri
To avoid cycling in the dark, we spend the night at a homestay in Wutai. After a good sleep, on day two we head toward the last Rukai community on Highway 24: Adiri (Chinese name Ali).
The entire road is uphill, and we often have to face a new climb even before the one we are on has leveled off. Ten years ago, Typhoon Morakot caused landslides that cut the highway off. Although simple guardrails have since been set up along the roadside, when we speeded up the pace of our journey, between the mountain forests on one side of the highway and a gorge on the other, we feel a sensation of giddiness and danger. Adiri, at an altitude of 1200 meters, is shrouded in mist and clouds year-round. When we gaze downhill at search of communities such as Wutai and Kabalelradhane, they are enveloped in a sea of clouds.
We pass by two areas of steep rock faces exposed by landslides, which are unusual geological features created by Typhoon Morakot. Looking up to observe them, you notice that each stretch of cliff wall has a different shape. They are like works of art carved by heaven with careful precision. This most moving geography lesson leaves one with a sense of reverence.
The current end point of Highway 24 is at the 44.5 km mark, beyond which the remaining few kilometers of the original highway have been downgraded to the status of an emergency access road. When we arrive at Adiri, with its jumble of slate houses, we find a desolate, almost abandoned village, with Taiwan cherry trees waiting shyly to display their blossoms.
Passing by the stone slab home of the chief of Adiri, you see ancestral spirit pillars, woodcarvings of ceramic vats, and woodcarvings and paintings of the legend of Balenge ka abulru, in which Princess Baleng marries the Hundred-Pace Snake deity. The architectural vocabulary of the building indicates the status of the chief within the community.
Husband and wife Bao Taide and Gu Xinhui, the only people to remain permanently in Adiri when its residents relocated after Typhoon Morakot, operate the Sumuku Homestay, where they host visitors who come to Adiri to watch birds or butterflies, and hikers who come to explore the Old Aluwan Trail.
In the afternoon, we walk a trail lined with blooming Japanese cherry trees, and when night falls, the sky fills with countless stars. Revisiting old memories and enjoying this tranquil night is like being in a paradise, a place of joyful contentment and serenity.
The artworks on display inside the Kalava Homestay demonstrate the Rukai people’s talent in the arts.