Premier Cho Jung-tai of the Executive Yuan attended the Yimin Festival on the occasion of the Baozhong Temple’s 236th anniversary alongside Minister Gu Show-faye of the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC), Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke, Chairperson Lin Kuang-hua of the Yimin Temple, and a host of believers on August 23.
Premier Cho declared three attitudes that everyone should follow: “work tirelessly together, pass down culture, and uphold Hakka perseverance”. Premier Cho stated that Hakka, Hoklo, and indigenous peoples all fought for their homeland without ethnical differentiation in the past, in alignment with the spirit of unity in present-day Taiwan. He also praised the inclusion of modern elements like street dance into this year’s pole carrying and offering of rice, devotions, and traditional performances. Thirdly, he expressed great admiration for the Hakka people’s tenacity. Whenever their homeland was threatened, they were the first to rise up and sacrifice themselves. Nowadays, Hakka are some of the most successful individuals in culture, politics, and sports thanks to their resilience, a commendable quality.
Moreover, Premier Cho said that culture should be equal and language is our shared heritage. In the Development of National Languages Act, the natural languages used by the ethnic groups in Taiwan include sign languages even. All are equally important in the eyes of the people and government, without hierarchical distinctions in terms of antiquity or power. The Executive Yuan is dedicated to preserving all languages of Taiwan’s ethnic groups based on allegiance to the nation and a sense of duty to the people.
Minister Gu stated that Yiminye, or Ngi Min’ia, the deified form of fallen civilian soldiers, is not only an enduring symbol of unity. It is the guardian of the beautiful natural sceneries across Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli, who has enabled Hakka people to live peacefully and inherit the marvelous culture of their forebears, including taking turns in holding ceremonies, religious beliefs, and even the Hakka language. She also called on everyone to continue to preserve our precious traditional observances.
The grand ceremony for Baozhong Temple’s Yimin Festival gathered a multitude pf Hakka traditional performing ensembles vying for the spotlight: children’s percussion shows, dragon dance, Hakka bayin music, war drum shows, lion dance, parades of Generals of the Five Battalions, Tiger God acrobatics, and parades of women dressed as the Eight Generals, among others. These exciting performances helped keep the flame of Ngi Min’ia alive so it reaches future generations.
