The Girl of Alishan is not a folk song of any ethnic group, the Girl of Alishan is a song composed in the style of a mountain song of the Gao Shan ethnic group.
"The Girl from Alishan", also known as "Gao Shan Qing", was written by lyricist Deng Yuping (a native of Sichuan, who settled in Taiwan), composed by renowned director Chang Cheh (a native of Hangzhou, who went to Taiwan from Shanghai and later settled in Hong Kong), and first sung by the lead actress, Zhang Xixi.
"The Girl from Alishan" is the only tune composed by Hong Kong director Chang Cheh. Although it is not really a ballad, it is always mistaken as a traditional folk song of Taiwan's Gaoshan tribe, but in fact, it is just a creative song composed by applying the form of a Gaoshan mountain song.
Because "The Girl from Alishan" is the only famous song that describes the mountainous terrain and people in a Gao Shan tune, and uses instruments such as tambourines and snare drums, it was unique among Mandarin pop songs at the time, and was also re-covered by other Gao Shan singers, such as Shih Hsiao-yung, because of the lyrics' praise of the Gao Shan people.
Expanded Information
The Songs of the Gaoshan People:
Most of the songs of the Gaoshan people are improvised by groups of people, and the content of the songs involves all aspects of social life and human feelings, with songs of praise to ancestors, labor songs, war songs, ritual songs, and love songs occupying a considerable portion of the songs. For example, the Saixia people's "Shorin Festival Song" is a very famous ritual song, the whole song line complete, singing special, and the Shorin Festival to welcome the spirit, entertain the spirit, send the spirit of the dance to match.
The content of the song is the repentance of the Saixia people for the offense of the Dwarves, and also the advice of the Dwarves to the Saixia people. The words and phrases are staggered and the rhythm of the sound is stumbling, which is a representative work of the ritual songs. Musical instruments include the mouth harp, bamboo flute, nose pipe and bowed zither. Mortar and pestle music is music with unique national style.
Baidu Encyclopedia - The Girl from Alishan
China.gov.cn - Alpine Tribe