October 15th (9 am Spain time), Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke led a Taiwanese Hakka delegation in participating in the 2024 Global Hakka Culture Conference & Taiwanese Hakka Convention in Spain. There, the delegation met representatives of Hakka groups from six continents. Magistrate Yang shared Hsinchu County’s fruitful achievements in Hakka language and culture promotion at the Conference, and earned high praise from conference attendees. He also shared 400 episodes of his Wen-ke’s Hakka Sayings Classroom Hakka teaching videos, which he has personally worked on in the past four years. The Conference gave the videos to representatives from six continents, in hopes that through mass efforts, Hakka language can be brought to different countries and communities around the world, and younger overseas Chinese people can learn more Hakka language and the cultural meanings behind it!
Magistrate Yang stated at the Conference that, ever since he took office, he has been actively promoting Hakka language preservation and cultural revitalization in Hsinchu County. The county government has implemented a series of administrative measures such as promoting approachable Hakka language-learning environments and curricula, organizing Hakka cultural activities, supporting Hakka creative cultural industries, and more. These are helping bring new momentum to the transmission of Hakka culture. Magistrate Yang noted, “Language is the foundation of culture. In Hsinchu County, we not only protect the Hakka language, but also strive to help the language live in young people’s everyday lives.” There is a saying: “When language is lost, culture will be destroyed, and the ethnic group will disappear.” Language is the vessel, and the soul, of culture. A culture can only continuously prosper and progress in an open and inclusive environment. At the Conference, Hsinchu County Government Secretary General Lee Anyu also gave a presentation on Hsinchu County’s fruitful achievements in promoting Hakka language and culture.
Magistrate Yang was very happy to meet Ms. Sumali, representative from Thailand and a native of Hsinchu County’s Beipu Township, at the conference. Lu Hsing-hui, representative of the Tokyo Chongzheng Association, is also a native of Zhubei. In different parts of the world, they cast off their brilliant light. At the Conference’s Overseas Entrepreneurship Experience Sharing Workshop, Magistrate Yang also met Mr. Huang Te-chuan, representative from Australia and a native of Hsinchu County’s Xinpu Town, by chance. Even more amazingly, Magistrate Yang met his uncles Yang Chang-wei and Yang Chang-neng (who are brothers). He hadn’t seen them for more than fifty years. They filled each other in about their hometown and childhood memories, which was warm and touching. Magistrate Yang’s uncles have settled and enjoyed business success in Australia. When they were invited by the Magistrate to return to home to meet other relatives, they responded with a smile, saying, “Going home always brings up a lot of feelings.” Clearly, there are Hakka people all over the world. Wherever there is sun, there are Hakka people!
Magistrate Yang and other Hakka association representatives from around the world jointly proposed the “Global Hakka 5-point Declaration”. This declares Hakka groups’ global collaboration goals and commitments for the future. The five points are:
1. Transmit and promote Hakka language and culture:
The Global Hakka Culture Conference makes a commitment to protect and promote Hakka cultural heritage such as language, customs, traditional music, architecture, and more, and to ensure that globally continuous development for Hakka culture through education and promotion activities.
2. Promote unity and collaboration among Hakka groups:
The Conference emphasizes the spirit of unity and mutual assistance among Hakka people, and calls for reinforced connections among global Hakka communities. By sharing resources and jointly coping with the challenges brought about by globalization, we can provide support for Hakka groups’ development.
3. Promote Hakka economic collaboration and innovation:
The Conference encourages strengthened economic collaboration among global Hakka enterprises and individuals, to support innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in fields such as technology and cultural industry. This is aimed at enhancing Hakka groups’ influence in the global economy.
4. Place emphasis on Hakka culture diversity and inclusion:
The Conference advocates respect for cultural diversity, and encourages exchange and infusion between Hakka culture and other world cultures, while also maintaining Hakka culture’s unique heritage.
5. Promote young generation’s sense of identification with Hakka culture:
The Conference pays special attention to young Hakka people. The members call for the reinforcement of young people’s sense of identification with Hakka culture, through education, exchange projects, and cultural activities, so as to encourage their enthusiasm for and participation in cultural continuity and innovation.
At the Conference’s closing ceremony, the Hsinchu County delegation shared a performance video by the Tianwu Beiguan Bayin Troupe, a group of musical performers who are committed to continuing traditional Hakka music in local communities. After that, friends from Hsinchu and Taoyuan and members of the Lo Yin-yin Hakka Song Troupe presented a series of Hakka hill songs and folk songs to the world-wide Hakka audience at the Conference. The delegation also shared links to 400 episodes of Wen-ke’s Hakka Sayings Classroom videos that have been built up over the past four years, so that Hakka people all over the world can view and share Hsinchu County’s rich Hakka culture heritage, and achievement in cultural continuity.
After the Conference, Magistrate Yang stated that the Global Hakka Culture Conference is an important platform where the unity of Hakka groups can be demonstrated, and where Taiwan’s contribution to the preservation of Hakka language and culture can be seen by the world. The Magistrate promised that Hsinchu County will continue to promote the continuity of Hakka language and culture, and strengthen exchanges and collaboration with international Hakka communities, to do its part in sustainable development for Hakka culture.