Chinese Nationalities (Gaoshan Minority)

Gaoshan Minority

Some minorities had been so absorbed that their status as separate peoples was nearly lost. Gaoshan is a general term applied to the aboriginal mountain people of Taiwan. The Gaoshan are millet farmers, hunters of game, and, until the early 20th century, hunters of heads. Their languages seem to stem from the Malayo-Polynesian group and may be the result of several migrations, perhaps from the mainland 4,500 years ago or from the Malay Archipelago. The Gaoshan are found mainly in Taiwan Province with a few still on the mainland. They believe in polytheism and ancestor worship, although some are Christians. They are part of the Malay-Polynesian ethno linguistic group.