The Guanmen Ancient Trail and Neighboring Old Village Restoration and Maintenance Project is dedicated to rediscovering the historical sites and cultural memories of the Bunun people of the Dan community in Hualien. Through old village surveys, route clearing, and cultural recording, it aims to awaken a sense of identity with their traditional homeland and the importance of cultural inheritance. The core of this project is to investigate and revitalize the old Bunun village sites, such as the Nashida Old Village, the Guanmen Ancient Trail, and its surrounding cultural relics, integrating traditional wisdom into modern life and providing resources for future education.

This project originated from the reflections and desires of the young people of the Bunun Dan community to "return to their ancestral homeland." They hope to explore the land where their ancestors lived for thousands of years and rethink the connection between humanity and nature. Through the investigation of old tribal sites, the recording of place names and oral histories, and cultural and artistic performances, the project aims to preserve this historical context and thereby strengthen community identity and the motivation for youth to return and develop their hometowns.

During implementation, the project team, together with local tribal members, scholars, and cultural workers, completed on-site surveys of the old tribal area, the clearing of house remains, and GPS positioning. They also compiled important cultural stories along the ancient trail, such as the hunting rifle zeroing target and the firing signal. The final deliverables include a comprehensive record of maps, videos, and documents, as well as a month-long exhibition showcasing the revitalization and contemporary translation of cultural assets. This project successfully garnered support from tribal members and the outside world, making this centuries-old trail a symbol connecting history and the future.

"During these past few days on the road, I often wondered what the elderly were thinking on their forced migration. Walking on the land they once trod, the stories they once heard overlapped with the present scenery—exactly the same! My eyes welled up with tears, and my nose stung. I thought, perhaps although we are heading in different directions, our feelings at this moment are the same. We are all carrying a longing for home, walking on this road home, telling our ancestors as we go: 'I'm about to go in, please wait for me!'" — Tian Jingyi, member of the Roots-Seeking Journey Team