This exhibition is based on pre-exhibition research, a book titled Thank You, as the main theme of the exhibition. Thank You refers to the mutual respect and gratitude between the Hakka people and Taiwanese society. The key visual utilizes the “H” in “Hakka” to imitate the posture of two people collaborating hand in hand so as to express the spirit of mutual tolerance and co-creation unique to Taiwan. Concurrently, the character also carries the meaning of cupping one’s hand in the other before one’s chest as a way to express gratitude, emphasizing the theme of Thank You Hakka. The content of the exhibition reinterprets Hakka culture from five tropes, namely History of Hakka, The World and Hakka, Civic Life and Hakka, Culture and Hakka, and Civic Society and Hakka. It is hoped that this exhibition would show how Hakka culture is an indispensable part of cultural diversity in Taiwan, and depict the ways in which Taiwan enriches the Hakka culture just as Hakka culture enriches the universal value of Taiwan’s culture.

History of Hakka

“The Hakka people are Han people from the Central Plain of China. They have experienced migration five times, and thus live in different parts of the world.” This is the most commonly expressed sentiment, but have you ever thought about who came up with this saying? Are there alternatives to this saying? How do Hakka people from different eras and different places talk about their own history? Exploring the origins of Hakka people and the formation of the Hakka identity from the three angles of “history and the construction of ethnic origin”,  “historical events and ‘righteousness’ explained” and “indigenous history and new life history” one can observe several theories vis-à-vis the historical origins of the Hakka people.

The World and Hakka

Hakka is the epochal story of global migration and localization! In the past 200 years, immigrants from southern China spread across the five continents of the world, especially to Southeast Asia, and the Hakka people are a major factor. Different local experiences created different Hakka cultures, but the Hakka people all recognize their Hakka identity.

The topics of “Map of Global Distribution of the Hakka People”, “Diversity of Hakka Culture” and “Global Hakka Network” allow us to recognize the diversity of Hakka people globally, as well as the global network of Taiwanese Hakka.

Civic Life and Hakka

In plains and low-altitude mountainous areas, the Taiwanese Hakka people established a traditional village culture of respect for nature, sustainability, and co-sharing. Such cultural aspects are demonstrated by share-holding worship associations, construction of settlements, daily lives, religious belief and customs, as well as the cosmic view of being one with nature. This unit presents aspects of the Hakka people’s civic life and culture traits from the two topics of “The Everyday Practice of Hakka People’s World View” and “Cultural Modernity of Civic Life”, in the process also bringing out the implied concepts of culture and contemporary practice.

Culture and Hakka

Over the last century or so, Taiwan modern civilization was shaped by the different political entities, which led to drastic changes in the sociocultural environment. Therefore, Hakka artists repeatedly interpreted the times through literature, music, theatre among other forms in order to remind and inspire self-reflections and cultural creativity among society as a whole.

Civic Society and Hakka

Through participation in peasant movements, labour movements, opposition to improper levy due to urban planning, and anti-dam movements, the Taiwanese Hakka successfully worked together with local residents to preserve cultures. They shaped contemporary mainstream values along with other communal groups, striving hand in hand towards an equal and sustainable Taiwan society, demonstrating the nuances of contemporary civic movement which extends beyond communal groups and regional boundaries.

(Translators: Athena Chu, Esther Wang, Sharmane Lin, Christine Cheng

In collaboration with Fu Jen Catholic University, Department of English)