The Hakka Affairs Council has launched an English-language Web site to provide news and information about Hakka affairs, including festivals, cuisine, arts and tourist attractions.
A series of major Hakka festivals take place annually from February to November across the nation.
In spring, Hakka celebrate the Dragon Bombing Festival, the Xin Ding Ban Festival, the Ripped Sky Festival, the Hakka Folk Song Contest, the Liudui Defending the City Walls Festival, the Liudui Games and the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival.
Summer festivities include the Ciao Sheng Sian Shih Culture Festival, the Yi-Wei Hakka War Cultural Festival, the Battle of the King of Drummers and the Hakka Fishing Festival, while the Zhao-an Hakka Festival and the Chenggong Festival are observed in autumn.
In winter, there are the Rice Harvest Festival and the Hakka Wedding Party.
Detailed information about the festivals can be found on the council’s English-language Web site, http://english.hakka.gov.tw.
The Web site also offers other information about Hakka culture. For instance, people can find recipes for classic Hakka cuisine, including si wen si chao (four braised and four stir-fried dishes), rice noodles, pounded tea, rice sieve noodles, radish buns, sticky rice cakes and fermented tofu.
For art enthusiasts, there are features on literary masters, musicians, singers, performing groups and award winners on the Web site.
People fond of traveling and experiencing different cultures can also search the site for unique tourist destinations in Hakka villages.
Led by Hakka Affairs Council Minister Lee Yung-de (李永得), the council has planned three major projects for the revival of Hakka settlements: Taiwan Romantic Route No. 3, Beautiful Liudui and Lively Provincial Highway No. 9.
Taoyuan’s Dasi Old Street and Fanjiang Old Residence; Hsinchu County’s Mawudu Discovery Forest and the Raknus Selu Trail; Miaoli County’s Taiwan Hakka Museum; and Taichung’s Tuniu Hakka Cultural Hall are all accessible from Taiwan Romantic Route No. 3.
The Beautiful Liudui project encompasses cultural and natural spots in southern Taiwan, including the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park, Pingtung County’s Hsiao Family Old House and Meinong District’s (美濃) Yellow Butterfly Valley in Kaohsiung.
Eastern Taiwan also boasts alluring Hakka locations such as Taitung’s Rice Village House and the Guanshan Bicycle Trail.
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