East Coast National Scenic Area

Changguang Tribe is in Changbin Township, Taitung County, formerly known as Ciwkangan. Located at about the 85-km marker of Provincial Highway 11, it is a beautiful tribe sitting against the mountains and facing the sea. Enter Changguang Tribe and follow the East 13 Changguang Industrial Road all the way toward west, and the "King Kong Avenue" soon comes into view. Standing on the avenue, you see boundless terraces on the north and south sides at the foot of King Kong Mountain and the Pacific Ocean. When the sea breeze blows, golden rice ears sway in the wind, setting off golden waves in the field with the sound of the ocean in the background. The boundless, magnificent view is comparable to that of the "Mr. Brown Avenue" in the East Rift Valley.

King Kong Mountain
The most prestigious in the tribes is King Kong Mountain in the west Coastal Range. In the intricate combination of landscape, light, clouds, and shadow, it appears as a huge gorilla standing on the top of the mountain, hence the name "King Kong Mountain." It has become an important landmark of the Changguang community. On a clear day, the view of King Kong Mountain will be exceptionally clear. You can see the facial features of King Kong standing on the cliff, like a guardian angel of the Changguang Tribe, watching over generations of tribal people.

The history of the beautiful terraces
Changbin has a long history and deep culture. Similar to most of the original tribes on the East Coast, the Changguang tribe is mainly comprised of the Amis people. Customs and cultures have been preserved in the tribe. It is culturally close to the Amis culture in the Dagangkou area in the north and is also one of the larger Amis tribes on the East Coast. During Qing dynasty, the tribes who moved here initially made a living by growing upland rice and millet. During the period of Japanese rule, the Amis people learned the rice farming techniques from the Kavalan people living in Chengzaipu (also located in Changbin Township). In less than two years, the tribe fully transitioned into farming rice. Through implementing an age-class system, tribal manpower was dedicated to digging irrigation channels. As a result, the area of rice fields in the tribe surged and the population also increased significantly.