Most of the indigenous people in Taiwan belong to the Amis Tribe, which is distributed in narrow coastal plains and hills in Hualien County, Taitung County, Pingtung County, and more. As the most important and largest Amis festival, ilisin is also known as malalikit and kilumaan depending on the local Amis customs. Held in July through September every year, the duration and the details also vary with each tribe.

 

Ilisin was originally held to celebrate millet harvest and to show gratitude for blessings from the ancestors. When the tribal farmers began cultivating rice, thetiming of the festival also changed in accordance with rice harvests. The festival commemorates the ancestors, celebrates harvests, demonstrates tribal masculinity while signifying the passage of another annual cycle. Traditional Amis society is matriarchal, though the ilisin is a holiday of men, and women are barred from much of the process. The coming-of-age ceremonies to celebrate the advancement of age categories is also held during the festival. The age classification system is the key to the ilisin planning process, with designated names, songs, responsibilities and jobs for each age classification.

 

Boys around the age of 12 are required to join children of similar age groups, and the age difference within a group can range from three to eight years. Boys in groups classified by age will live and study together at the same hall, to train in skills required to become a man and participate in tribal works and ritual planning. The Amis age classification system arranges each tribe into a comprehensive organization, where people of a lower age class must obey those of a higher age class. The completeness of the age classification system represents tribal integrity and the strength of collective power, which is vital to maintaining the tribal group. The age classification operation of ilisin is a function that strengthens such a system, to enable the ritual to take place successfully. Currently, even though the age groups are no longer tied to the residential hall system, the classification framework is still maintained.

 

Song and dance are the main elements of an ilisin, which is led by young leaders, followed by the next age group and the next. If an elder joins in, the age classes that are younger than him must also line up in order ahead of the youth leader, and perform the dance in a circle by holding hands with each other. The dance corresponds to the orderly song and dance steps. Usually the elderly people sit in the center of the circle to be revered and protected, which is also convenient for them to issue commands.

 

The Amis ilisin usually includes religious ceremonies to celebrate the harvest and thank the gods, as well as cultural elements such as traditional rituals, traditional foods,costumes, and singing and dancing. Furthermore, ilisin also serves social functions including networking, social interactions, advancement in age class, and verification of military training. Although changes in social lifestyle and the introduction of Western religion have gradually diminished traditional military and religious aspects, ilisin still serves an important role in heritage continuance by passing down tribal cultural knowledge and the living experience of the elders.