Magistrate Chiu Invites Mayor of Taichung City to 2015 Taiwan International Festival of Hakka Culture
Magistrate Chiu of Hsinchu County has sincerely invited Mayor Lin of Taichung City to 2015 Taiwan International Festival of Hakka Culture. Mayer Lin expressed enthusiastically that Taichung City Government would participate the parade for the opening ceremony of Folk Drum Arts Festival. He would also invite Hakka groups in Dapu to the World Hakka Night. Furthermore, Taichung City Government would participate in the preparation of Hakka Expo and arrange trips for festival visitors to Tuniu Hakka Cultural Hall and Dongshih Old Train Station Hakka Culture Park in Taichung to promote local Hakka culture in Taiwan.
2015 Taiwan International Festival of Hakka Culture is scheduled to take place October 14-25, 2015 at the area around Hsinchu County Stadium. The festival would combine series of other events such as Folk Drum Arts Festival and Hakka Expo. With the festival theme of animation, technology, and culture, the event this year is expected to provide a good blend of tradition and modern Hakka cultures. Hsinchu would be the first city in Taiwan to hold the World Hakka Conference since 2006 World Hakka Conference in Taipei City. The annual conference has been held all around the world, including Hong Kong, San Francisco, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur.
Magistrate Chiu, who is also the chairman of World Hakka Federation, indicated that Hakka people had been hard-working with unyielding spirits since they settled in Taiwan and had built a solid foundation for Hakka people in Taiwan. Taichung City is home to nearly 500 thousand of Hakka people, making it the third largest Hakka city in Taiwan (falling only behind New Taipei City and Taipei City). Taichung City would help to promote local Hakka culture in Taiwan with all its efforts.
Mayor Lin indicated that he noticed that Hakka people were a large proportion of population in Taichung, especially in Fengyuan, Shihgang, and Dongshih, during the promotion of city government affairs. He was pleased to see Hsinchu County holding the festival. “Taichung City will participate, enthusiastically, in 2015 Hakka Conference in Hsinchu. Everyone is welcome to attend the great Hakka event and to travel to Taichung as well. I would like to sincerely invite everyone to it on the behalf of Hakka people in Taichung,” said Mayor Lin.