To boost the local economy and balance regional development in Hakka settlements situated across Hualien and Taitung, the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) established the Project Office of Lively Provincial Highway 9 (幸福台九線專案辦公室) at the Eastern Taiwan Joint Services Center of Executive Yuan (行政院東部聯合服務中心) in Hualien City on Oct. 25.
Accompanied by lawmaker Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and county government representatives of Hualien and Taitung, HAC Minister Lee Yung-de attended the office’s plaque-unveiling ceremony in Hualien City, where the choir of Minglien Elementary School (明廉國小) performed Hakka songs including “Moonlight” by Hakka poet Yeh Jih-sung (葉日松), “Where I’ve Traveled and Where I Belong” by singer Huang Wei-jie (黃瑋傑), and “Have You Eaten Yet?” by musician Liu Jung-chang (劉榮昌).
Experts and scholars who are truly familiar with every aspect of Hakka villages in Hualien and Taitung were invited by HAC to form an advisory committee to help the project office focus on regional revitalization in Hakka settlements along Provincial Highway 9. Through interregional cooperation and integration, the committee will survey the resources available in the area, conduct research, and launch plans accordingly.
Following the opening ceremony and performances, HAC hosted the inaugural meeting of the committee to discuss the direction that the project will be taking and assist local residents to outline concrete proposals aimed at solving the problem of population outflows and industrial decline in Hakka villages.
Minister Lee stated that the Lively Provincial Highway 9 project focuses
on promoting Hakka culture, conserving local landscapes, and reviving rural
economies, adding that in addition to providing people with consultancy
services for industrial and entrepreneurial innovation, the project office will
also be a platform for dialogue between the central government and Hakka
communities in eastern Taiwan.
Lee hopes that, through this newly built office, resources from various fields can be systematically integrated and efficiently utilized to bring new creative and financial opportunities for Hakka villages in Hualien and Taitung.