People and Fish Legend -About Sqoyaw 1935


Xueshan Entry 
'Snowy Mount' (Xueshan Range), under the Qing, the range was also known as Dodd's or Mt Sylvia Range. Related blogpost HERE.

Sqoyaw (Huanshan Tribe 環山部落)
Also known in recent years 'Purple Tribe 紫色部落' for its extensive Wisteria cultivation across the valley. In April flowering season, Sqoyaw valley is a marvelous purple paradise.

Formosan landlocked salmon (oncorhynchus masou formosanus)

Photos I took in 2020 on a Hehuan Creek Trail with 原森旅行社 Ecotour Taiwan Travel. The best Ecotour service I have personally experienced. (Better on videos. Links at bottom)


大島正滿著《泰雅的呼喚》
Masamitsu Ōshima    The Call of Tayal



大島正滿著《泰雅的呼喚》
1935
National Museum of Taiwan History
https://collections.nmth.gov.tw/CollectionContent.aspx?a=132&rno=2002.003.0026

Formosan landlocked salmon (oncorhynchus masou formosanus) I first became familiar with from writing THIS article, and by the name David Starr Jordan (founding president of Stanford University).

"Sauter sent specimens to two leading ichthyologists in the US, David Jordan — later a key figure in the scientific naming of the Formosan landlocked salmon, but better known as the founding president of Stanford University — and Richard Richardson."

Sauter is Hans Sauter who came to Taiwan in 1902, married his Japanese assistant, taught at my father's school "Taihoku Higher School" and buried in 1944 in Taiwan. 
(Related blogpost HERE Enlightenment to Democracy)

The salmon became landlocked from the mountain formation took place 15,000 years ago blocking the way to the sea. Given an opportunity in 2020, I explored this remarkable ice age relic species, a national treasure fish.  

EQUALLY important, to witness conservation efforts between 1995 and 2020, where numbers dwindled to 200 to latest research 5000 in the river. What a fantastic and incredible achievement!

Sqoyaw 志佳揚社 1935

Masamitsu Ōshima 大島正滿 (1884 - 1965), Japanese herpetologist and ichthyologist visited.

Tapas Nokan (詹秀美/小林淑子 1929 - ?) recorded and collected. 

I was brought to Tapas's photo blog recently on Masamitsu Ōshima's Sqoyaw visit in 1935. It's a great photo blog full of valuable information. Tapas was my parents' generation and on several occasions, the description and photos came close to heart. 


June 02 and 04 2006 entry include photos snatched, shared and re-shared on several media groups. Tapas identified the people, the location and Tayal fishing method. 

Tapas is no longer with us, by THIS article from Sayun Simung (a journalist from Sqoyaw). 

A legendary Tayal woman Tapas was, a weaver, dancer and teacher. She danced in Sayon's Bell (a 1943 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Shimizu) in a Tayal costume she weaved for herself.

The private 'museum' she built is known in her Mandarin name 詹秀美 and is now voluntarily managed by a Yubaw family member 哈踴優豹. Source HERE. 


詹秀美民俗文物館 "Tapas Folk and Culture Museum” displays Tayal weaving skills, old photos, and other cultural resources. Including, of couse, Sqoyaw 1935 Formosa landlocked salmon fishing expedition. More details HERE. 

Tapas was seen in the photo saying "When it opened up, hundreds of fish (Formosan landlocked salmon) came out!!"

More photos - 

Hehuan Creek. Admiring Nature's Wonders. Formosan salmon we saw here are smaller, majority less than 20cm. 








Chichiawan Creek 七家灣 area (preservation center and Taoshan from Wuling Farm side) We saw adult fish from bridge (see video 4)






qulih' (in Tayal) - Onychostoma barbatulum 台灣鏟頜魚 (found in Taiwan and in the Pearl River Basin of southern China) is sometimes mistaken for Formosan landlocked salmon.

'qulih' (known a traditional Tayal fish) the name possibly borrowed from Mandarin or Taiwanese 鯝.  It is also known as Fushan (Wulai) fish - fish and people migration.

Formosan landlocked salmon videos taken on Cichiawan and Hehuan Creek Trails.


UPDATES 

Photos taken at Kanagawa 神奈川 Prefectural Museum of Cultural History (first four) and Kanazawa 金澤 Folk Museum in December 2022.







Fantastic produce map and literature of Kanagawa Prefecture. 
These ice-age fishes' Taiwan cousins were discovered in early 1900s by Japanese researchers.

山女魚  Oncorhynchus masou 

山椒魚 Hynobius fossigenu described in literature

山椒魚 Hynobius formosanus was discovered by a Japanese Scholar in 1919.

Fish trap 

Fish bamboo trap for catching 鮎 ayu sweetfish (香魚).





 



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