Executive Information System, Department of Tourism

Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-Tsan headed for the base of Agriculture Expo in Xinwu District to attend the “2018 Taoyuan Agriculture Expo- Press Conference on Hakka Craftwork Area Promotion” on March 15. Mayor Cheng expressed that the Hakka craftwork area is dedicated to making Hakka's wisdom, various professions, and craftsmanship known to visitors, citizens and students; thanks to the participation of the artists and craftsmen, the area is able to display its best works. Hakka craftwork area features seven highlights blending cultures, technology and experience and presents the diverse aspects of Hakka culture.

Mayor Cheng pointed out that Hakka culture is an extremely important estate of Taiwanese culture. Whether people speak Hakka language or not, they must not deny that Hakka culture is a part of life. Diverse cultures such as Hokkien and Hakka mix and blend with each other in Taoyuan, and the wisdom they accumulated is worth learning to the descendants; Hakka culture is not all about diligence and frugality, but there are also living values including the love for things, draw from local resources, and living with the nature.

Mayor Cheng mentioned that Hakka people live in the mountain, coastal, and urban areas of Taoyuan, which demonstrated their ethnic diversity; the living wisdom accumulated during their 200-300-year lives in Taoyuan all condenses in the Hakka craftwork area. The value of Hakka craftworks lies in the demonstration of Hakka life, representing the values behind their lives, and added with quality, aestheticism, utility, and artistic appreciation.

Mayor Cheng stated that there are seven major highlights in Hakka craftwork area of the Agriculture Expo: first is the green Sanhe Yuan (traditional Chinese residential compound), which adopted an eco-friendly method, replacing excavation with elevated construction and avoiding soil waste and damp. Second, there is an in-depth cultivation of local culture through presenting the diversity of Hakka landscape such as algal reefs, stone weir, and the Tung Blossom. Third is the interactive exhibition; each installation incorporates technological elements while adopting an interactive method. Fourth, the scenario exhibition recreates the life of Hakka people. Through the reappearance of Hakka's humanities and culture, people can understand the bits of life of the ancestors after they came to Taiwan. Fifth is the experience course, which includes tea culture, cuisine, and craftsmanship and aims to reduce the distance between visitors and Hakka culture. Sixth, an app guide is used in the area, so visitors can select and get to know more about the works. Seventh, visitors can try to find Ba Gong(the Village God) and Hakka figures through the treasure hunting game, making the area a Hakka playground for children.

Mayor Cheng mentioned that the current completion rate of the Agriculture Expo exhibition area is about 70 percent, and it will officially open on April 4th. On that day, everyone is welcomed to visit the site. Due to the preparation period of merely 4 months last year (2017), more plastic materials were used; however, steel, wood, stone, and brick are the main materials this year. These materials can be sustainably used; in the future, the exhibition halls on public land will also be preserved on a best- effort basis.