The population is about 560 thousand. The majority live in mountain areas in the central area, the rift valley and flatland running along the east coast of Taiwan and on the Lanyu Island. Owing to the differences in regions, languages and cultures, there are many subgroups within the ethnic group, including Amis, Ataya, Saisiyat, Bunun, Tsou, Paiwan, Rukai, Puyuma, Yami, Thao, Kavalan, Truku, Sakizaya, Seediq, Hla'alua, Kanakanavu, etc. More than 4,000 other Gaoshan people live in places such as Fujian, Zhejiang, and Beijing in Mainland China. They use the Gaoshan language which belongs to the Indonesian languages of the Austronesian language family. The language has more than 20 different dialects, classified into three groups: Atayal, Tsou and Paiwan. 13 of these dialects are used until today, but the Gaoshan people do not have their own script. Due to the variations of living areas, the clothing, diet, houses and etiquettes of different subgroups differ significantly. The Gaoshan people are mainly engaged in agriculture, forestry and hunting. People of the Yami subgroup mainly practise fishing. The lifestyle and culture of some Gaoshan people changed considerably after they started to live in urban areas. The Gaoshan ethnic group has been good at singing and dancing since ancient time. Singing and dancing are indispensable in almost all feasts, gatherings and large-scale activities to express their happiness. Traditional festivals include the “Seeding Festival”, “Peace Festival”, “Harvest Festival”, “Flying Fish Festival”, etc. Among them, the “Harvest Festival” is the most significant one, equivalent to the Spring Festival of the Han people. During the festival, in addition to feasts, singing and dancing, there are also diverse recreational and sports activities such as sports competitions, cultural exhibitions and other entertainment.