Millet Learning Center

The Millet Learning Center is located in Likou Village, Jinfeng Township, Taitung County. Its predecessor was Likou Elementary School. After years of disrepair and population outflow, the local government invested funds to revitalize the school, renovating the abandoned Likou Elementary School into the current “Millet Learning Center.” It is the first educational facility in Taiwan dedicated to the traditional indigenous grain “millet.” It combines the cultural background of millet with traditional Paiwan life skills and leisure tourism, allowing visitors to learn about millet culture and Paiwan tribal life knowledge through guided tours, experiences, DIY activities, and dining. Millet is an important indigenous crop with a long history of cultivation in Taiwan, used for cooking rice, making porridge, and brewing wine, primarily in Taitung and Pingtung counties. The Paiwan people of this township regard millet as a sacred and spiritual crop. Elders often recount various stories and taboos related to millet. For example: before planting millet, small pieces of pork bone are shaved with a knife; libations are offered during Palisi (worship) to ancestral spirits; millet symbolizes wealth – the more one dries during harvest, the wealthier the family is perceived to be; in the tribe, millet cannot be enjoyed alone but must be shared by all, demonstrating the indigenous people’s characteristic of selfless sharing; besides being food, it is used as decoration on headdresses and traditional clothing during festivals; and during millet harvesting, one must not drink water or bathe, as violating this taboo would lead to five years of illness. These taboos and cultural practices are still observed by the tribal people today. To preserve these precious cultural stories, the Millet Learning Center has established a “Millet Stories and Varieties Exhibition Area” within the Millet Story Hall of its facility. Millet varieties are quite diverse, and through past field research, the center has collected over 26 types of millet. Besides allowing visitors to learn about different millet varieties, the center also hopes to maintain crop diversity through seed conservation, safeguarding the ecological and cultural assets of this land, preventing the loss of precious culture, and ensuring the sustainable transmission of millet’s stories. Jinfeng Township boasts unique natural landscapes and has nurtured rich ecological and cultural resources. The township is composed of five villages, each with distinct characteristics and symbols, showcasing diverse and profound local cultures. Jialan Village, located in northern Jinfeng Township, is known as the home of red quinoa. Xinxing Village, adjacent to Jialan Village, is famous for its abundant roselle flowers, painting the fields vibrant red when in bloom. Zhengxing Village is renowned as the home of pottery jars, preserving ancient pottery techniques and attracting many tourists and art enthusiasts. Binmao Village, located in the southern part, is an art village full of creativity and vitality, featuring many painted walls and sculptures. Likou Village is the main production area for millet and is also why the center has shaped the Nanhui region into the brand image of Taiwan’s “Back Mountain Millet Granary.” These five villages collectively form the cultural and ecological foundation of Jinfeng Township, making it a place worth exploring and savoring.