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Up through the first decades of the 19th century, the Thao of Shueishalian wielded considerable power over their domains, which covered the lands in and around their six main settlements (present day Yuchih, Maolan. Shueishe, Shihyin, Maopu, and Toushe).
Ancestor Worship and Thao Religious Ceremonies
 Ancestor worship stands at the heart of Thao religious beliefs. Every Thao household keeps a "spirit basket" in which articles of clothing belonging to the ancestors are kept and worshipped, symbolizing the eternal communion of the Thao people with their forefathers. All Thao religious rituals and ceremonies include prayers to the ancestors. The "spirit basket" represents one aspect of Thao culture unique among all of Taiwan's indigenous tribes.
The Thao of today continue to perform the cycle of annual rituals followed through the generations in order to secure the continued blessings and favor of their ancestors. Important festivals in the Thao calendar include the Tilling Festival (February), the Seedling Festival (March), the Weeding Festival (May-June), the Hunting and Baiman Festivals (July), and the all-important Annual Harvest Festival (August), which is the traditional start of the Thao New Year.
Pestle Music
Thao New Year ceremonies and celebrations often stretch over half a month in length and always reach their climax soon after the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. During the night of the "final drinking" ceremony the Thao follow instructions given by their ancestors and engage in lively performances of dancing, singing, and well wishing. The evening air is flooded with song and the sound of exploding firecrackers. It is an experience not easily forgotten. The renowned pestle music of the Thao is also an important part of Thao New Year activities. A performance is usually held on the last day of the seventh lunar month at the headman's house to announce the formal beginning of the New Year. Pestle music is performed by a number of people wielding wooden pestles of varying lengths, involving the rhythmic pounding of pestles against stone slabs. Pestle music has been an important feature of Thao culture at Sun Moon Lake for more than a half a century.
The Thao of Sun Moon Lake
The Thao are a Taiwanese Aboriginal tribe, and are classified as one of the southern tribes.
In the early Cing Dynasty, the Han people unlawfully encroached upon Thao territory which resulted in armed conflicts. This caused the Thao to flee to other places.
During the late Cing Dynasty, due to the open door policy, even more Han Chinese moved into Aboriginal territory. Moreover, owing to a lack of antibodies against external diseases, such as smallpox, the population of the Thao tribe decreased dramatically during the late 18th century. Towards the end of the Cing Dynasty, the population of hundreds dropped down to about 300.
After Taiwan Retrocession, the government followed the Japanese method of classifying the Aborigines into nine tribes. Regarding the tribes on the verge of extinction, such as the Thao tribe, they were all classified as a part of the Pingpu (plains) tribe. However, according to the chasing deer legend, the Thao tribe came from Alishan, so in 1951, the Thao tribe was reclassified as part of the Tsou tribe.
However, with time, further research indicated that regarding language, blood relationship, and culture, the Thao are very different from the Tsou tribe.
The Thao people have called themselves "Thao" for generations, and they are proud of their name. During the past 200 hundred years, the Thao tribe have become culturally assimilated to a certain degree. During this process, the Thao people have continued to peacefully with other people groups.
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