Puli and the nearby rural townships of Yuchih, Kuohsing, and Jen'ai comprise an area known as Shuishalien, where many different ethnic groups have always lived side-by-side.
埔里與比鄰的魚池、國姓、仁愛等鄉被統稱為「水沙連」，向來是個多族群混居的地方。