On February 27, Chiu Hsing-wei, Deputy Minister of the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC), visited Beipu Township, Hsinchu County to attend the 2026 Oil Bamboo Torch Festival on behalf of HAC Minister Gu Show-faye. On the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, he joined Chu Shu-min, Director General of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Hsinchu County, and local residents to light the oil bamboo torches and pray for blessings at the Hakka village. The symbolic act also represents the restoration of the “dragon vein” and perpetuation of Hakka culture.
Deputy Minister Chiu said that in order to implement President Lai Ching-te’s Hakka policy, HAC constantly supports local cultural activities in Hakka villages and values the development of the Beipu area, hoping that Hakka cultural activities live on so that more people visit Hakka villages and learn about Hakka culture.
A distinctive Lantern Festival custom of Beipu, the Oil Bamboo Torch Festival takes place at the square in front of Beipu Citian Temple, where people circle the mountain in procession after lighting a mother fire. It is said that during the Japanese colonial era, villagers picked up bamboo oil lanterns and marched in line on Lantern Festival to restore the “dragon vein” of Xiuluan Mountain. This folk custom has been passed down to this day as a major cultural occasion that happens annually in Beipu, a shared memory that connects all local residents.
This year’s event attracted over 2,000 participants, demonstrating local camaraderie and cohesion. In addition to the mountain procession, it included DIY experiences for oil bamboo torches, Hakka lantern riddle games, a distinctive Hakka village market, and music shows at the temple square. In addition, it invited the Coming True Fire Group and Buzen Tengu Daiko and Buzen Kagurasyūdan Jyaraku—performing groups from Beipu’s international friend city, Buzen, Japan—to deliver exhilarating performances. This fusion of tradition and innovation enables more travelers to learn about Beipu and experience the unique charm of the Lantern Festival in Hakka villages side by side with locals, as to deepen global cultural exchanges.
HAC remarked that it has constantly striven to support the revitalization of Hakka culture and environmental upgrade in the Beipu area. In the future, it will continue to collaborate with local governments and private organizations to cultivate a Hakka-friendly environment, combine tourism and industrial development, and bring about innovation and sustainability through Hakka cultural transmission.
