The Taiwan Hakka Culture Development Center (THCDC) of the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) held the grand opening of the two special exhibitions Hakka Gaze on the Route: Echoes Resonate Between Mountains and Valleys and Photographing PetriChor: Archival Photography Re-Exhibited on April 14. THCDC Director Ho Chin-liang invited everyone to visit the exhibitions, view tung blossoms, and relish the beauty of Hakka villages on the road and in the pictures.
Director Ho said that the special exhibition Hakka Gaze on the Route: Echoes Resonate Between Mountains and Valleys begins with a simulation of the Jinma Express and its rare footage at the entrance, instantly transporting visitors into the history of highway construction. It also narrates the course of Hakka migration from western and southern Taiwan to the east, opening a window into Hakka villages on highways and the challenges endured by Hakka people during relocation and land development. Particularly noteworthy, this exhibition comprises precious historical images from THCDC’s digital collection and archives from the Highway Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, bearing witness to the vital connection between Hakka villages and highways—a trip down memory lane for people who experienced different eras of transport in Hakka settlements.
Photographing PetriChor: Archival Photography Re-Exhibited takes THCDC’s digital collection of images as chief curatorial element for the first time. It gathers hundreds of select works by 16 photographers to showcase the diverse lifestyles and warm human bonds of Hakka villages through the camera lens. We also collaborated with a team from National United University to combine images with Hakka-speaking AI digital technology to create an interactive video system, allowing visitors to communicate with AI in Hakka in real time. The exhibition also leverages image generation technology to invite visitors to enter the shots of historical Hakka village scenes taken by photographers. Technology bridges culture and the exhibition space to increase people’s understanding of Hakka village lifestyle.
In preparation for the exciting Tung Blossom Festival, the THCDC’s Taiwan Hakka Museum is organizing the Appreciation Ceremony for Artifact Donation by Shangrila Paradise, China Metal Products on April 12 and Hakka Language Little Masters experience and anniversary challenge on April 18, among other thrilling activities on the occasion of the Museum’s anniversary. Everyone is welcome to bring along their loved ones and “Appreciate Tung Blossoms & Exhibitions to Get the Full Hakka Experience” during the Tung Blossom Festival. For more details, please visit the THCDC official website or the Taiwan Hakka Museum official fanpage.
