The definition of archaeological sites in the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act is: " Sites and places that contain the remains or vestiges of past human life which are of value from the point of view of history, aesthetics, ethnology or anthropology." According to this definition, prehistoric archaeological sites of course fall within this scope, but prehistoric sites are only one chapter of “past human life.” For centuries, the Hakka have lived in Taiwan. Aside from the "Hakka spirit" of which its people are proud, all things passed down and not yet passed down naturally constitute "evidence" that can be used to understand Hakka life.

If  Hakka archaeological sites are regarded as evidence for knowing Hakka culture, there is perhaps a motive to search for them.

During the urbanization of Taiwan, old Hakka dwellings were torn down one after the other. For the Hakka, who had worked hard on this land, these old houses represented the achievements of a family or a clan. Once the houses were demolished, all that was left was a memory in people's minds. If it were possible to recover the physical remnants of these homes and thereby provide affirmation of the Hakka people’s cultural heritage, an even greater cultural heritage would emerge.

Aside from the disappearance of old Hakka homes, there is a whole series of historical ruins. The construction of airports, reservoirs, high-speed rail, urban planning zones, and other projects turned entire villages, including Tayuan, Chingpu, Liuchia, Amuping, and Paoshan, into ruins. And as Taiwan’s industrial structure underwent transformation, many age-old industries disappeared, with their buildings falling into disrepair. Most camphor, tea and paper factories, along with ditch-making and farm-pond making infrastructure, have become ruins. In addition, many places of historical importance -- such as ancient battle fields and places where peace talks were held -- have become ruins. After rivers change course, they make archaeological sites of the places where they used to flow.

At the old Hakka sites, traces of human habitation pile up like trash heaps. These are things left behind after having been used, and when they are excavated,  they prove important in creating a picture of ancient civilization. Graves from which bones are recovered, the remains of mud walls, workshops long abandoned, and other relics provide clues to what human life was like.

Rubbish heaps are made of things people generally consider to have lost their significance. But the objects left behind at archaeological sites still retain significance and value, although they have lost the purpose for which they were made. Stone, jade, iron, gold, silver, copper, glass, bone, horn, shell, wood, pottery, and porcelain pieces fall in this category. Because relics have a certain market value, they frequently become commodities in antique shops. However, divorced from their original context, these items lose much of their cultural significance.

Things change as the years go by and the Hakka, along with other ethnic groups in Taiwan, move forward. Things that once existed but no longer do all feed into the great river of culture. At Hakka archaeological sites, there remain many precious things to uncover and bring up to the light of day.