Maolin District (Chinese: 茂林區) is a mountain indigenous district of Kaohsiung (高雄), Taiwan. The main population of Maolin is Rukai (魯凱族) people. Duona Lane (多納里) reserves the most complete Rukai culture, the best place to learn about Rukai culture.
Rukai are one of the indigenous people of Taiwan, they consist of six communities residing in southern Taiwan, each of which has its own dialect of the Rukai language.
Although small, Duona Lane is quite modern, with sound water and electricity facilities, schools, police and fire stations.
Rukai were formerly called Tsarisen or Tsalisen, which means ‘people living in the mountains’.
There are many slate houses preserved in Duona Lane. The slate houses are traditional houses built with slates by the aborigines Rukai, Paiwan (排灣族), Bunun (布農族) and Atayal (泰雅族) people in Taiwan.
Slate houses generally use slate or shale as building materials, and the roof and exterior walls are like scales, which are very distinctive. Some of the slate houses have been converted into homestays or cafes to receive tourists.
According to legend, the Rukai people have a terrible custom. If an enemy breaks into their village, Rukai people will cut off the enemy's head and take the head to a special place near the village to perform a solemn prayer.
