That's awesome yuanzhumin
... I wish I could go.
Afterall I have an a'gong, a'ma, and other family members in the Taipei area (though most are from Chi-aYi further south). It's too bad I cannot. If anyone has the opportunity, don't miss out! the Danshui area is nice and you can also shop at it's nightmarkets and at Shih-Ling.
The Yami are a very interesting group. They're related to the other yuanzhumin, but they are an oceanic group. They don't headhunt, drink, and aren't landlocked. All the other aborigines stayed on land. I've heard the Yami once had a war with coastal peoples in the northern part of Luzon. Their warfare, compared to the other aborigines, is unique... and does in some ways resemble pacific islanders'.
From an ethnographic weapon standpoint..... The last Atayal laraw makers can be found near Wulai, south of Taipei. The last traditional pocket knife maker can be found in Taipei in the Shih-Ling area. There's excellent kai-shan-dao being made in the northern Taiwan area. The last traditional swordmaker (same guy who make the sword for
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) is in Gowshiong. The last unsecret bladesmith of the aborigines is in Tong-men, Hualien (there's other privately commissioned smiths for the other tribes). There's somewhere where rattan shields are still made I hear.