(All photos courtesy of Kaohsiung City
Government)
Chinese name: 美濃客家文物館
Located at: Meinong District, Kaohsiung
City
Meinong’s Hakka culture is well-known
for being among the best-preserved in Taiwan. More than 90% of the population
in the district is of Hakka origin. Because of its strong Hakka style, the
township is one that is rich in ethnic characteristics in Kaohsiung City. From
their clothing, to the food, housing and music, one can see the wisdom the
Hakka people have developed over generations as they adapted to the environment
during their migrations. In recent decades, due to changing times, many
characteristics of Hakka culture have gradually lost their original survival
value and context. How to draw characteristics from such rich ethnic cultural
resources and create a new life for them that allows them to coexist with
modern society is the common aspiration of many Hakka people. In response to
this, the Kaohsiung City Government established the Meinong Hakka Cultural
Museum in 2001, hoping to create a creative and energetic museum that focuses
on preserving and educating people about Hakka culture, especially through
Meinong’s stories.
The museum was planned and operated
with the goal of making it into a community museum. It’s hoped that it will
implement the objectives of cultural subjectivity and regional cultural
development, while showing the many sides to Meinong's history and culture, and
enhancing the understanding and interaction between local ethnic groups in a
way that integrates with the community. The museum actively participates in the
investigation, collection, preservation, and maintenance of Meinong's natural
and cultural assets to meet the needs of research, collection, exhibition and
education. And through the planning and establishment of a computer information
system, the museum is not only a static preservation of cultural relics, but
also an information management center for travel, sightseeing and exploration
in Meinong.
The architectural design of the museum
mirrors that of a courtyard house, and exudes a sense of calm and simplicity.
Through the two-story exhibition space, the museum provides visitors with a
rich understanding of Hakka life and culture. It depicts the different facets of
Hakka culture and history in Meinong, using a variety of media, objects,
photos, documents, videos, video tapes, replica models, ecological landscapes,
interactive displays, etc. It also shows the interactive relationship between
Hakka characteristics and the environment in the cultural relics displays. The
whole museum, including the special exhibition room, theme hall, cultural
relics exhibition room on the first floor, a children's exploration area, as
well as a celebration cultural relics room on the second floor offers a quiet
and comfortable environment, attracting many tourists to visit during weekends
and holidays.