The Hakka Affairs Department of Pingtung County Government held an event at Gaoshu Township (高樹鄉) on Dec. 26 to commemorate the 300th anniversary since the establishment of Liugdui (六堆), the collective name for the Hakka community in the Kaohsiung and Pingtung area, in 1721.
As part of the anniversary celebration, inhabitants from twelve districts in the Liugdui area were invited to march into the village in a spirit of giving. Hakka Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chung Kung-chao (鍾孔炤) and Magistrate of Pingtung County Pan Men-an (潘孟安) also participated in the worship of the god Tudigong (土地公).
In his speech, Chung Kung-chao encouraged the Hakka people of Liugdui to improve their Hakka listening and speaking abilities.
Magistrate Pan Men-an noted that time has gone by quickly, with the 300th anniversary having reached its end. He thanked the Liugdui community for coming together as one to carry the year-round activities. He expressed his hope that the community will continue to persevere for the next 300 years.
At the beginning of the event, each community marched into the township in a spirit of giving. Hakka women wore Hakka blue shirts accompanied by Hakka lion and paper buffalos, filling the atmosphere with a Hakka touch.
The event also included individual and group competitions, a Hakka marketplace, DIY experiences, real-world games, as well as a Hakka banquet with agricultural products from the Liugdui area to serve as dishes, all of which convey the Hakka people’s spirit of respect, gratitude and generosity.
After the establishment of the Hakka Affairs Council (客家委員會), there have been active efforts to restore the spirit of Liugdui in the hope of not only preserving its unique history of self-preservation but also transforming it into a new force of social cohesion.