The government is dedicated to making Taiwan a global capital for Hakka culture by promoting Hakka innovations achieved under the nation’s freedom and democracy, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday at a groundbreaking ceremony in Taoyuan for the International Hakka Expo building.
Tsai said that since becoming president, she has worked hard to promote the culture, encourage the daily use of the Hakka language and inspire Hakka people to feel proud of their heritage.
These efforts have been successful, as people can now speak Hakka with civil servants, while young people are returning to Hakka villages to work or start businesses, which helps promote local development, she said.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
The theme for next year’s expo is “Travel to Tomorrow” to represent “the Hakka of the future,” she said.
The expo hopes to reflect the experience of local Hakka cultures wherever they are and promote the cultural creativity of Taiwanese Hakka, who live in a free and democratic country, Tsai said.
Taiwan is the only country that has a detailed Hakka policy, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said.
Taoyuan has the largest Hakka population in the country, Su said, adding that Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) was instrumental in making the expo a reality.
The construction of the expo building marks the first time a national government has invested money to host a Hakka-themed international expo, Su said, adding that 22 countries have been invited to attend.
“We hope to demonstrate how Hakka work hard and maintain solidarity even when scattered around the world,” he said.
Taiwan occupies a critical position in terms of revitalizing Hakka culture and the expo would ensure that the nation would be instrumental in helping the revitalization of the Hakka culture worldwide, Cheng said.
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