Heading south from Hualien City along the Rift Valley, entering Guangfu Township brings you to the place name "Mataian." Mataian is one of the most important Amis tribal communities, and the back courtyards of tribal restaurants here often have a pile of blackened river stones burning over a fire. After guests are seated, the host lines a split betel palm sheath into a natural vessel, pours in water, adds wild vegetables and stream fish, then uses wooden tongs to drop the glowing-red stones in one by one — the broth boils instantly, steam erupts, and there it is: the Amis stone hot pot passed down for hundreds of years.
What is Stone Hot Pot
Stone hot pot (called "Sifoduy" in Amis) is a traditional Amis outdoor cooking method. The pot is a betel palm leaf sheath folded and stitched into a natural container. Ingredients include Amis household wild vegetables such as mountain bitter melon, black nightshade, fiddlehead fern, tree bean, and cloud ear fungus (nicknamed "lover's tears"), along with tilapia, stream shrimp, and pork. The key material is locally sourced Hualien serpentinite — this stone is heat-resistant and rarely cracks; heated to 600–800 degrees Celsius and dropped into cold water, it can boil the broth instantly. The whole process requires no conventional cookware and no gas — it embodies the outdoor cooking wisdom the Amis people developed for mountain hunting and foraging.
Why is Mataian the home of stone hot pot? Mataian is one of the largest Amis tribal communities in Hualien, with a complete traditional wetland ecosystem (Mataian Wetland) providing easy access to wild vegetables, fish, and shrimp. Multiple tribal restaurants in the community — including Hongwawu Old Place, Xinlv Farm Garden, and Jianrou Mountain Villa — have offered stone hot pot experiences for years alongside Amis wild vegetable spreads. The Hualien Agricultural Improvement Station has a dedicated article documenting Amis wild vegetables, with clear cultural heritage standing. For visitors, this is one of the rare experiences where you can witness "stones boiling a soup in an instant" firsthand — and an irreplaceable symbol of indigenous food culture in Hualien tourism.
How to eat it the authentic way
Local know-how
Verified endorsements (ad-free)
- Stone hot pot is a representative form of Amis traditional cuisine; the Hualien Agricultural Improvement Station has a dedicated article on wild vegetables.
- Multiple tribal restaurants in Mataian offer stone hot pot experiences; Hongwawu Old Place and Xinlv Farm Garden are long-standing representatives.
- "Lover's tears" (cloud ear fungus) is an ingredient unique to the Mataian Wetland and a key symbol of Amis wild vegetable culture.
Practical tips
- Stone hot pot is typically a set-menu format for shared dining. Two or more people is the economical minimum; solo visitors may be politely turned away.
- Reservations by phone 1–3 days in advance are needed on weekends and school holidays. Walk-ins often find no seats available.
- Mataian Wetland and the tribal restaurants can be visited on the same day; consider combining with Guangfu Sugar Factory ice cream nearby to round out the itinerary.
Data compiled from Hualien County Government Tourism Department, local township farmers' associations, and large-scale public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with exclusive channel footage after Dio's on-site shoot.