Council for Hakka Affairs Minister Huang Yu-chen (黃玉振) called the Hakka Exposition 2008-2009 that concluded yesterday a great success, having attracted a record-breaking 800,000 visitors and generating NT$1 billion (US$29 million) in revenue for the surrounding area.
The 51-day exposition opened in December at the Taipei County Hakka Museum in Sansia Township (三峽鎮).
Held annually for the third year, this year’s exposition featured the 12 biggest festivities in Hakka regions, old black-and-white pictures of previous Hakka generations, presentations on Hakka townships across the country, a Hakka market, live performances and games.
“Because of the richness of the content, a well-planned shuttle service, effective advertising and well-planned themes,” Huang told the audience at the closing ceremony, “we broke several records — we had the greatest number of visitors, the highest economic value and the most visitors on a single day.”
As many as 800,000 people visited the exposition, 500,000 of whom used the shuttle service. It resulted in NT$1 billion in economic activity for the surrounding areas, Huang said.
“The event was very carefully planned, I really liked the four small houses [representing the northern, central, southern and eastern parts of Taiwan] that showcased Hakka cultures in different areas,” a visitor said.
The visitor said there nevertheless was room for improvement.
“They have a lot of things, but I’ve observed that a lot of people left without finishing everything,” she said. “It may be better if they could have more interactive games or machines — kids would enjoy it more.”
“It was excellent. It allowed me to see lesser known aspects of Hakka culture, such as that of Guanyin (觀音) and Sinwu (新屋) townships in Taoyuan County,” another visitor said.
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