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No Matter How Far the Road Home Is, Let's Move Forward Together: The Reconstruction Story of Taroko's Datong and Dali Villages

Tongli Tribe is located on the southern side of Qingshui Mountain Range at an altitude of about 1,000 meters, surrounded by steep terrain with no accessible roads. Residents have long relied on transport cages to transport supplies and agricultural products, making it one of the oldest indigenous tribes in the Taroko area. The Datong and Dali Villages, connected by a forest road, suffered severe damage during the earthquake on April 3, 2024, cutting off residents' access and preventing agricultural products from being transported. In response, the Tongli Tribe Natural Ecology Self-Governance Association proposed to the government and convened a meeting on April 9th with various units to discuss self-rescue plans. Starting with Purchasing an Excavator Residents hoped to purchase an excavator for future use to repair and restore the land when similar disasters occur. Since the transport cage couldn't bear the excavator's weight, the Headquarters helped coordinate Blackhawk helicopters for airlift and borrowed rope nets from the Army. During the process, residents faced challenges from fundraising to purchasing machinery and learning disassembly and operation skills; meanwhile, the military rope nets had to be returned immediately after the operation. After collective efforts, in July 2024, the excavator was successfully transported to the mountain, becoming an important resource for tribal self-rescue. Then Contracting Forest Road Repairs The subsequent forest road repair work began with the Headquarters hiring locals to clear roads and debris, followed by contracting the Rgayung Plateau extension trail and Tongli forest road emergency access and facility reconstruction projects, planning repairs for hollowed road sections, slope protection, and trail facility rebuilding. However, due to transportation difficulties, construction materials had to be transported to intermediate stations by transport cages, then delivered to sites by carrying vehicles. Combined with typhoon season rainfall impacts and frequent disaster changes, the engineering design was repeatedly modified before finally starting work in September 2024. During construction, work crew members and tribal residents worked together, with many tribal men joining the work team to rebuild their homeland together. Tribal Restoration Project Nearing Completion, Looking Forward to Reuniting After the earthquake, most tribal residents temporarily relocated elsewhere, though some elders insisted on staying, leaving once every two to three weeks for supplies or medical care. Farmers also adapted to environmental changes, switching from highland vegetables to maqaw (aromatic litsea), arrow bamboo shoots, and spices to maintain their livelihoods. Currently, the Tongli Tribe forest road restoration is nearing completion. The Headquarters stated that once safety is assured, they will reopen mountaineering applications. Residents and hikers are all looking forward to reuniting in these mountains again soon! No Matter How Far the Road Home Is, Let's Move Forward Together: The Reconstruction Story of Taroko's Datong and Dali Villages