Minister Gu gave a warm welcome to fellow attendees, Director Chen Shih-hsuan of Legislator Shen Fa-hui’s office and City Councilor Chen Kuang-hsuan. She further added that it is a joy to see public representatives visiting from different places and participating in events, spending effort to listen to demands of residents—this is a crucial task of the public sector. 4.66 million Taiwanese identify as ethnic Hakkas, but only around 2 million actually live in traditional Hakka settlements. The urban-rural gap forces over half of Hakka people to leave their hometowns and seek jobs in cities. HAC’s goal is to provide appropriate funding for local development in Hakka villages and equitable opportunities in different areas, fulfilling the needs of residents. Regardless of culture, industry, language, or even the Raknus Selu Trail, all Hakka heritage must be preserved and promoted.
The Taiwan Raknus Selu Trail Foundation officially proclaimed its establishment in the ceremony this day. As the first citizen-run organization in Taiwan dedicated to operating a long-distance trail, with private individuals responsible for maintenance and management, it combines support from HAC and a combination of private and public resources to achieve a sustainable business model akin to long-distance trails abroad. The establishment ceremony was held concurrently with the first meeting of directors and supervisors, to select managing directors, the president, and managing supervisors.
The Raknus Selu Trail is a state-owned green trail that stretches from Taoyuan to Hsinchu, Miaoli to Taichung, living testimony to the old days when our ancestors harvested camphor and the golden age of tea trade. In order to preserve the old road, the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association took on HAC’s project and organized local people into an alliance to staff 9 work stations since 2022. Guidance meetings, training, and tour planning are held regularly, and the association was officially founded this year to return autonomy to the community in operating the Raknus Selu Trail long term, jointly achieving protection and passing down of the ancient route.