Mongabay · Climate & nature

Typhoons Displace Taiwan's Bunun People, Threatening Cultural Heritage

Typhoons and landslides have forced the Bunun Indigenous people from their ancestral village of Tengjhih in Taiwan, severing cultural ties and impacting their way of life. Resettlement efforts have faced criticism for not consulting the community and for limiting land ownership.

The village of Tengjhih, once a key Bunun settlement, is now abandoned after Typhoon Morakot in 2009 destroyed its only access road. Around 150 residents were resettled in lowland areas.

Typhoon Morakot caused widespread devastation in Taiwan, with Indigenous territories disproportionately affected. Rebuilding efforts for the Tengjhih road have repeatedly failed due to climate change-amplified rainfall and landslides, with a recent typhoon in 2025 further damaging the mountain.

The closure of the surrounding national forest has eliminated the local ecotourism and agricultural economy, leaving residents like tea farmer Bi’ Ismahasan reliant on government aid and facing annual crop losses.

Displacement has weakened the transmission of Bunun language and cultural practices to younger generations, as elders like cultural guide Saminat Maliklan observe a fading connection to traditions in the new environment.

Taiwan's resettlement program provided apartments but not land ownership, preventing residents from modifying or selling their new homes. This relocation occurred without prior consultation, violating the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law.

Scholars argue that the government viewed mountain villages as dangerous commodities to be relinquished, while for Indigenous peoples, land is integral to their culture. An alternative access road is scheduled to open in January 2027, offering some hope for the community.

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