Hakka Tour

Hakka people can be said to be the most rice-loving people. The simple rice can be made into all kinds of delicacies by the Hakka people. At the Hakka old streets, try rice-based food such as Hakka vegetable buns, Chinese mugwort rice cakes, and Fa cakes. It will be equally tasty if you take a few with you home and steam them later.

Hakka people live by the mountains, so they grow tea for their livelihood to adapt to the geographical environment. Leicha (ground tea), Dongfang Meiren (oriental beauty) tea, and bitter orange tea are the three major Hakka teas. They are unique tea products developed and created by Hakka people, and are excellent souvenirs for people of all ages for being not only special but also good for health.

When it comes to pickled food, the impressive cooking skills of the Hakka people cannot be ignored. If you want to replicate the classic Hakka cuisine at home, you must buy a jar of dried radish or pickled mustard leaf. They are suitable for either adding into a dish or going with plain rice. The long shelf life also allows you to enjoy reminiscing about your Hakka trip for a long time.

Always look for local produce when travelling. Persimmons, tangerines, taro, and Chinese mesona are grown here as the fruits of the hard work of independent farmers in Hakka regions. If you happen to find a market selling local produce when visiting Hakka region, remember to buy the fresh and delicious produce to take home with you.

Baoshan in Hsinchu was one of the important sugar factories in the early days. Its high-quality brown sugar is famous at home and abroad. The traditional craftsmanship has become a heritage of the community. The juice of sugarcane grown in an environmentally-friendly way is continuously stirred in a high-heat boiler, and slowly turned into granular brown sugar with a deep aroma. Brown sugar lava buns and Hakka brown sugar cakes are popular souvenirs.

The environmental conditions of Pingtung are perfect for cacao trees. Through the collaborative promotion of the central and local governments, Pingtung cacao has not only developed the unique farm-to-table technology, but also become an internationally renowned boutique chocolate. In recent years, merchants have also combined cacao with various local ingredients to create products that are must-buys for visitors to the Hakka region of Pingtung.

The technique of indigo dyeing contains the wisdom of Hakka ancestors. In the early days, Strobilanthes cusia grew in the area where the frugal Hakka people lived. They took it to make indigo for dyeing fabric, which was then turned into Hakka blue shirts. In Hakka regions, you can not only buy the finished indigo dyeing products, but also participate in indigo dyeing DIY activities and make your own unique souvenirs.

The Hakka region of Meinong is famous for its oil-paper umbrellas. It is an important center for the production and development of oil-paper umbrellas. Oil-paper umbrellas carry the implications of a long and happy marriage and therefore are suitable as a gift to newlyweds. They can also be used as a home decoration. The beautiful patterns will add a little artsy taste to the home space.

Sanyi in Miaoli is known as "Taiwan's Woodcarving Kingdom.", with the only woodcarving museum in Taiwan here. In addition to learning about the developmental history and production process of woodcarving, you can admire woodcarvers’ skills entailed in the work. You can also bring home a piece of woodcarving art with you as a decoration!

Hakka people living in the mountainous area use clay to make pottery. Its heat resistance, fine in texture, high viscosity, and impermeability make the fired pottery suitable as containers. Tea sets, bowls and plates, and vases are all typical souvenirs. Pottery as home decoration is also a great choice.

Camphor is mainly produced in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli. Therefore, the development of camphor industry in Taiwan has a close relationship with Hakka people. Camphor oil extracted from camphor trees can not only be used as an insect and mosquito repellent, but can also be turned into various products such as essential oil soap, shower gel, shampoo, and skincare products. They are perfect souvenirs that are not only natural, organic, and environmentally friendly, but also a legacy of the Hakka traditional technique.

Extracting lemongrass oil is a key industry of Guoxing Nantou. The steps of planting, harvesting and drying, distilling, and extracting all require the hard work of local experts. In order to pass on this traditional technique, lemongrass has been turned into various products, such as lemongrass ointment, lemongrass mosquito repellent, and lemongrass pillow. The products are natural, healthy, and lightly fragrance, making them great gifts!

Using gourds planted in Shanlin Kaohsiung as the material, the artist first draws a pattern with a pencil, then hand-carves, colors with a brush, and finally burns the gourd. The shape of the gourd symbolizes good luck. The skillful artisan fuses with painting, calligraphy, lighting and other craft techniques to create a unique work of art.