Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In a quiet corner of southeastern Taiwan, in the Amis village of Dulan, the Kao family has been brewing rice wine for generations.
Drawing on the traditions of their community, Kao Sha-sha and her husband Liliw have founded Truly Wine, the first legally licensed brewery established in an Indigenous community in Taiwan, where they revive the traditional brewing methods passed down by Sha-sha's father, a craft rooted in the rhythms of the land.
In spring, they forage wild herbs from the hills. In May, they prepare jiuqu, a traditional fermentation starter combining several medicinal plants. In June comes the year's most important batch of sticky rice wine, which in July is offered to the ancestors during Kiluma'an, the Amis Harvest Festival whose name means "everyone coming home."
For Sha-sha, this work is also a homecoming. After a life-changing event, she left her career in northern Taiwan and returned to Taitung to raise her children where her own roots run deepest. For Liliw, it meant earning the trust of his father-in-law, who only taught him the family recipe after he promised never to leave.
In this episode of "Spirits of Taiwan," discover a close-knit community where the elders' prayers offer solace to the next generation.
00:00 Introduction
01:14 The Truly Wine Story
02:34 Dining and Foraging With the Kao Family
07:16 Unlocking Family Brewing Secrets
08:43 A Recipe Passed Down Through Generations
10:25 The Harvest Festival of Kiluma'an
13:36 Liliw and Sha-sha Look Back
15:18 Preserving Centuries of History
17:17 Sharing Their Wine With the Elders
19:59 Truly Wine Goes International
23:08 End Credits
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In a quiet corner of southeastern Taiwan, in the Amis village of Dulan, the Kao family has been brewing rice wine for generations.
Drawing on the traditions of their community, Kao Sha-sha and her husband Liliw have founded Truly Wine, the first legally licensed brewery established in an Indigenous community in Taiwan, where they revive the traditional brewing methods passed down by Sha-sha's father, a craft rooted in the rhythms of the land.
In spring, they forage wild herbs from the hills. In May, they prepare jiuqu, a traditional fermentation starter combining several medicinal plants. In June comes the year's most important batch of sticky rice wine, which in July is offered to the ancestors during Kiluma'an, the Amis Harvest Festival whose name means "everyone coming home."
For Sha-sha, this work is also a homecoming. After a life-changing event, she left her career in northern Taiwan and returned to Taitung to raise her children where her own roots run deepest. For Liliw, it meant earning the trust of his father-in-law, who only taught him the family recipe after he promised never to leave.
In this episode of "Spirits of Taiwan," discover a close-knit community where the elders' prayers offer solace to the next generation.
00:00 Introduction
01:14 The Truly Wine Story
02:34 Dining and Foraging With the Kao Family
07:16 Unlocking Family Brewing Secrets
08:43 A Recipe Passed Down Through Generations
10:25 The Harvest Festival of Kiluma'an
13:36 Liliw and Sha-sha Look Back
15:18 Preserving Centuries of History
17:17 Sharing Their Wine With the Elders
19:59 Truly Wine Goes International
23:08 End Credits
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
🌏 TaiwanPlus | Taiwan to the World
Breaking news and original programs. All things Taiwan at your fingertips.
Visit our website » taiwanplus.com
📱 Connect with TaiwanPlus
» Like us on Facebook: https://tw.plus/facebook
» Tweet us on Twitter: twitter.com/taiwanplusshows
» Follow us on Instagram: https://tw.plus/instagram
🇹🇼 About TaiwanPlus
TaiwanPlus is the premier international media platform providing English-language news and entertainment from Taiwan, at the heart of the most dynamic and fastest growing region on Earth.
