Tony Coolidge in front of the hotel that was once his family homestead in Wulai.

We toured the bustling tourist district of Wulai. Wulai is famous for its beautiful scenery, the waterfalls, the theme park on the mountaintop, and the hot springs baths. Whenever I am in the area, I always make it a point to visit the Greeh Hill Hotel, which my family once owned. It has been modernized since my family owned it decades ago, and is owned by a Han Taiwanese family. But I always feel like by visiting this building I can get closer the the past that once was.

It is a sad fact that although Wulai is growing and bustling as an indigenous attraction, most of the businesses are not owned by indigenous people. Our own family lost our property in a less-than-honorable fashion. It is a positive thing that the businesses provide steady, but low-paying, employment for the indigenous residents. But it would be a bigger triumph to see the indigenous people capitalizing on their own culture and building their own opportunities.