Duona village, lying in a river gorge, is home to the Rukai tribe. Though not many traditional houses remain, the village is worth visiting to see how the Rukai live in the 21st century. Villagers put red quinoa out to dry and sell millet wine. There's a chapel, a school with tribal mosaic and a court where teens shoot hoops to Taiwanese pop. A daily market (9.30am to 5.50pm) offers fresh produce and barbecued meats.
If 'tribal' culture is what you're after, there are shops selling tradition-inspired garments and accessories, restaurants decorated with ceremonial regalia, and a mildly interesting Warrior's Trail that includes a 'Sacrificial Head Platform'.
There are three trains daily departing from Kaohsiung's Zuoying Train Station (8.50am, 9.20am, 9.50am) for Duona. You can also take bus 8025 bound for Liugui District (六龜) from Kaohsiung; get off at Xinwei Elementary School (新威國小) and change to Bus H31 (就醫公車) for Duona.
