THE ISSUANCE OF THE TAIWAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CULTURAL SERIES COIN SET─SAISIYAT
PRESS RELEASE Release Date: November 13, 2006
THE ISSUANCE OF THE TAIWAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CULTURAL SERIES COIN SET─SAISIYAT
The Central Bank of China will issue the 9th coin set of the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Series-SAISIYAT on November 16, 2006. A total of 55,000 sets will be issued. The Bank of Taiwan and the Central Trust of China are appointed as the delegates of the Central Bank of China to deal with the sale of the coin sets. Each set, including a NT$20 proof coin in circulation and a commemorative proof copper medal, costs NT$250. Each person may purchase only one set of coins at one time.
The Saisiyat aboriginals live mainly in the townships of Wufong in Hsinchu County and Nanjhuang and Shihtan in Miaoli County. Most of the tribal clan names are related to nature, with meanings such as "sun,""wind,""camphor,""silk," and "crab." It is a tribal taboo for people of the same surname to intermarry. The main Saisiyat ceremonies are Pashta'ay (Ritual of the Black Dwarf God), Pashbaki' (Ancestor Ritual), 'A'owaz (Worship of Heaven Ritual), and Pit'aza' (Seed Sowing Ritual). Of these, Pashta'ay is perhaps the best known. This ritual is observed around the 15th day of the tenth lunar month. During the Japanese colonial period, Saisiyat braves rose up twice against the Japanese in battles that came to be known as the "Nanjhuang Incident"and the "Beipu Incident." The tribe also united with the Atayal and the Hakka to oppose Japanese suppressions. Many Saisiyat braves sacrificed their lives in these struggles that are poignantly remembered and extolled in stories recounted by the tribe to this day.
We are grateful to the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan, for examining the symbols and literature used in the preparation for the issuance of this coin set.