In order to promote Hakka tourism throughout Taiwan, the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) held an award ceremony for the 2024 Hakka Village Tour Competition at the Mayor’s Residence Art Salon on March 12. HAC Deputy Minister Fan Tso-ming welcomed friends from Taiwan and all over the world to visit Hakka villages, which exhibit different characteristics of Provincial Highway 3, Liugdui, and Provincial Highway 9. Tourism to Hakka villages offers a window to Taiwan’s ethnic diversity and life variety, and drives economic development of local industries and cultural flourishing.
Deputy Minister Fan stated that this is the first time HAC has organized such tour competition, which yielded 31 award-winning teams. Summed to previous Hakka village itineraries in partner locations, a total of 60 tours across Taiwan now enable people to come closer with Hakka village culture. Besides the titles and prize money given today, in order to offer further encouragement, the three award-winning travel agencies which first accumulate 100 tour participants can win an additional NT$100,000 each.
HAC uses the competition to encourage legitimate travel agencies and Hakka organizations to develop innovative tours, divided into three categories: “Overseas Travelers”, “Domestic Travelers”, and “Domestic Experience”. 31 itineraries emerged victorious from among 75 entries. Professor Shyr Yi-hwan, judge and representative member, said that award-winning teams demonstrated remarkable foresight by crafting creative and sustainable plans, especially by including the concepts of zero carbon and carbon footprint. He thanked HAC for its support and helping Taiwan’s tourism industry move forward.
Award-winning tours comprise Hakka settlements along Provincial Highway 3, Liugdui, and Provincial Highway 9, covering a total of 9 counties/cities and 35 townships, all representing a variety of cultural traditions. These include a one-day itinerary of Taiwanese beach seine fishing and clam hand gathering at the seaside Hakka village in Xinwu, Taoyuan; a weekend tour of century-old Chuanlong Canal and national greenway Raknus Selu Trail, or appreciation of traditional Hakka residences in Wugoushui, Pingtung; and a three-day tour of Taiwan’s most well-preserved tobacco barn in Fenglin, Hualien to learn more about Hakka migration and tobacco history. For more information on the award-winning itineraries, please visit the Hakka Tour website.
