Shizi, Pingtung

Shizi Township^[1] is a mountain indigenous township in Pingtung County, Taiwan. It is the largest township of the county. The main population is the Paiwan people of the Taiwanese aborigines.

Shizi Township 獅子鄉
Mountain indigenous township
Shizi Township in Pingtung County
Location	Pingtung County, Taiwan
Area
• Total	301 km2 (116 sq mi)
Population  (February 2024)
• Total	4,768
• Density	16/km2 (41/sq mi)

Shizi Township

Entrance to Shizi Township Hall

Names

The original Paiwan name for the area was Tjakuvukuvulj (Tjakuvukuvuɬ; historically rendered as Chaobo Obol or in Chinese: 腳歐伯伯). Han Chinese settlers noted a rock outcropping in the shape of a lion's head (Chinese: 獅仔頭山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sai-á-thâu-soaⁿ; lit. 'lion-head mountain') and called the village Sai-a-thau-sia (獅仔頭社; Sai-á-thâu-siā; 'lion-head village').

Under Kuomintang rule, the name was changed to the current Shizi, though in Taiwanese Hokkien the name Sai-a-thau is still normally used in spoken contexts.^[2]

Geography

The terrain of Shizi is mountainous, as the district is located near Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.

Administrative divisions

The township comprises eight villages:

• Caopu (Chinese: 草埔; pinyin: Cǎobù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chháu-po) (Paiwan: Supaw)
• Danlu (丹路; Dānlù; Tan-lō) (Paiwan: Tjakuljakuljai)
• Fenglin (楓林; Fēnglín; Png-lîm)(Paiwan: Kaidi/Naimalipa)
• Nanshi (南世; Nánshì; Lâm-sè) (Paiwan: Nansiku/Tjuladu)
• Neishi (內獅; Nèishī; Lāi-sai) (Paiwan: Kacedas)
• Neiwen (內文; Nèiwén; Lāi-bûn) (Paiwan: Naibun/Tjakuvukuvulj)
• Shizi (獅子; Shīzi; Sai-chú) (Paiwan: Tjaqaciljai)
• Zhukeng (竹坑; Zhúkēng; Tek-kheⁿ) (Paiwan: Tjuruguai)

Economy

Agriculture

Agriculture produced in the township includes mangoes, bird's-nest ferns and watermelons.

Tourist attractions

Places of interest in or around Shizi are Shuangliu Forest Recreation Area, the Cultural Objects Museum, Lilongshan and Neiwen Village.

Transportation

The South-Link Highway passing through Shizi Township

Shizi is connected via railway through the TRA South-Link Line. A key station is Fangshan Station. Two highways run through the township: Provincial Highway No.1 and Provincial Highway No.9 (South-Link Highway).