The government is to require schoolchildren in areas where Hakka is widely spoken to learn the language as part of efforts to help the ethnic group preserve its mother tongue, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
The launch of a Hakka radio station on Friday represented a step forward in the promotion and passing down of the Hakka language and culture, Tsai said on Facebook.
The government is now pushing an amendment to the Hakka Basic Act (客家基本法) to list Hakka as a national language, Tsai said.
It would represent an official “upgrade” from its designation as a folk language — the same privilege given to more than 50 languages spoken in Taiwan, she said.
In so-called Priority Development Areas for Hakka Culture, Hakka services are to be provided gradually at government offices, and Hakka is to become a required course in elementary-and-junior-high schools, she added.
The government would firmly support the promotion of Hakka, Tsai said, adding that the language is “the root of the Hakka people and Hakka culture.”
According to a survey commissioned by the Hakka Affairs Council in 2014, about 4.2 million people identified as Hakka, accounting for 18 percent of the nation’s population and forming the second-largest ethnic group after Hoklo.
The council has designated 70 townships and districts in 11 counties and cities where Hakka people account for more than one-third of the total population as priority development areas for Hakka culture, as stipulated in the Hakka Basic Act.
Of the 70 townships and districts, 18 are in Miaoli County, 11 in Hsinchu County and eight each in Pingtung and Hualien counties, as well as in Taoyuan.
There are five areas in Taichung, four in Kaohsiung, three in Taitung County, two in Hsinchu City and Nantou County, and one in Yunlin County.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS