Tjuvecekadan (Laoqijia) is a traditional Paiwan settlement located in Pingtung county with around 50 well-maintained slate houses. These impressive stone structures are considered exemplary of Indigenous material culture, and the historic village stands out as a proposed World Heritage site.
Constructed around 350 years ago using Paiwan vernacular building methods, the single-story, rectangular dwellings are made of wood and different kinds of slate collected by hand from local quarries. These materials helped define the community’s relationship with their environment and expressed particular ideals of family. Because of the resilience of slate, such homes can last hundreds of years and provide important information for understanding Paiwan history and culture.
Today, new styles of construction are emerging in Paiwan communities and concrete is replacing slate. The flagstone homes still found in Tjuvecekadan thus represent a rich body of traditional knowledge and skill that is essential to protect and preserve.