From Takow to Kaohsiung

Panapanayan (巴拿巴拿樣), legendary origins of east coast aboriginal groups

Stele beside No.9 Highway showing
"Site of Origin of Taiwan's
Mountain Peoples' Ancestors."

Several aboriginal groups have origin legends relating to a place called Panapanayan (transliterated as 巴拿巴拿樣; Mdn. Banabanayang) or something similar, or which may also be called Ruvoahan. Scholars locate this to a site beside Provincial Highway No. 9 in today's Sanhe Village (三和村) in Taitung County's Taimali (太麻里) Township.

Details of legends include the following (main source: Wikipedia), though there is a much more complex list of legends associated with stones and bamboo: here

Amis (阿美) legends:

i)There was a huge boulder in Arapanai (the Amis name for Panapanayan). When this cracked apart, the ancestors of the Amis and Puyuma peoples emerged.
ii) A giant tree gew in Arapanai. One day, it was struck by lightning and split apart, and out walked the ancestors of the Amis people.
iii) A brother and his younger sister sailed with their grandfather on the "Kalolangan" from Tsirangasan during a great flood, arriving at Arapanai. After their grandfather died and turned into a stone, the brother and sister married and gave birth, firstly to a crab, then to a stone, and after they planted the bamboo, gave birth to the Puyuma people, whereas the Amis appeared when the stone cracked.
iv) An elder sister, brother and younger sister floated to Arapanai during a great flood. After the elder sister died she became a stone, and the brother and younger sister married and gave birth firstly to a crab. After being taught by the moon they gave birth to a white stone, and the white stone gave birth to four people, the second of which was the ancestor to the Plains peoples.

Puyuma (卑南) legends:

i) Nunurao (奴努勞) appeared at Panapanayan, in her right hand she held a stone, in her left a piece of bamboo. Throwing the stone gave birth to the Amis people of Malan (馬蘭) and the Zhiben Village (知本社), planting the bamboo gave birth to the Nanwang Village (南王社) people.
ii) Foam from the ocean waves floated ashore producing a dusty substance that eventually turned into a stone. After the stone split apart, a human figure appeared with eyes growing out of both knees and with two faces, one to the front and one on the back. This was the ancestor of the people of Zhiben Village (知本社).
iii) Nunur and Maosus drifted to the coast of Panapanayan and then gave birth to descendants.
Alternatively,
iv) Nunurmaosus was one person who drifted to the Panapanayan coast. On the way a bamboo stick was planted in the earth, which gave birth to the people of Nanwang Village (南王社), while after passing away, Nunurmaosus turned into a stone.

Paiwan (排灣) legends:

i) A female deity appeared at Panapanayan, in her right hand she held a stone, in her left a piece of bamboo. Throwing the stone gave birth to the Malan (馬蘭) Amis people; planting the bamboo gave birth to the Paiwan people of Beinan Village (卑南社).
ii) There was a giant stone at Panapanayan. When this split apart, a girl called Rarigimu/Bihin appeared and, drinking the stone's sweat, she came alive. She later married Basakaran of 大南社 (Mdn. Danan Village) and gave birth to two daughters.