Jump to main content

Satokoay Historical Site

Hualien CountyScenic Spots
Read the following for how to use your keyboard to browse the album:
  • Up: Show photo menu
  • Down: Hide photo menu
  • Left: Last photo
  • Right: Next photo
  • ESC: Leave album
  • Satokoay Historical Site
  • Scenery of Stone Pillars
  • Stone Pillars
Partly cloudy
Today’s weather
24 °C
Probability of precipitation
10%
Air Quality Index (AQI)
35 Good
TEL:
+886-3-8872222
Address:
Wuhe Vil., Ruisui Township, Hualien County
Longitude/Latitude:
121.35942/23.470796
Web:
Satokoay Historical Site_Links
Tag

Satokoay Historical Site are two adjacent, giant stone pillars. Their respective heights are 5.75 meters and 3.99 meters. They are located on a mountain slope north of the Wuhe Terrace in Ruisui Township. They face the Hongye River Valley, which has an expansive view.

According to Amis tradition, several hundred years ago, as a group of Amis people came to the Wuhe Terrace to do land reclamation, they suddenly encountered a storm, and quickly picked up some nearby wood planks to protect themselves from the rain.

Because the Wuhe Terrace is the traditional home place of the Amis people, many myths and legends concerning the Stone Pillars can be found. According to one story, when an Amis was building a house, he had to encircle the building area, singing a prayer song passed down from his ancestors. If he made a mistake when singing, he would be blown away by a big wind, and everything would be turned to stone. Thus, the Stone Pillars are the result of two people who sang the prayer song incorrectly. According to another story, an Amis chieftain's wife gave birth to twins, one of whom was black, and the other white. The tribal members decided that this was an unlucky omen. In order to protect the village, the chieftain tied these children to the wooden pillars in front of the village gates, and the village then moved to another location. These children were then changed into the stone pillars, forever standing in front of the village gates.

In actuality, according to the research of cultural relics dug up from nearby archeological excavations, the Stone Pillars are relics of the "Beinan Culture" dating back to the late new Stone Age era, which goes back around 3,000 years. As these are Taiwan's only prehistoric cultural relics, the Department of Internal Affairs has determined the Satokoay Historical Site to be a national historic monument. But where did these very heavy stone pillars come from? Who transported these pillars, and set them here, and by what means? This is a mystery which to this day nobody has been able to fathom, adding to the mysteriousness of the Satokoay Historical Site.

Area Information

Last update time: Oct 25, 2023
Top
What's fun nearby

Last update time:

Regional traffic info
Scenic Spot(s)
More Spots
Events
More Events
Accommodation
More Accommodation
Travel Information
You might be interested in...