佳冬展 海報

Zuodui Settlement Exhibition: I Am at Jiadong Township
Time: 2022/12/24~2023/04/23
Location: Hsiao Family Cluster House, Jiadong Township, Pingtung County (No. 150, Gouzhu Road, Jiadong Township, Pingtung County)

Walk into the old village from the Hsiao Family Old House,
the elders and villagers I used to know,
I have not seen them for decades.
The old houses have become ruins, and only two are left.
A faltered wall stands at the corner
surrounding a small garden.
Different kinds of flowers blossom in different seasons.
I walk over,
the flowers ask me the names of many old people,
why have they not come back for so long?
The flowers long to see them.
--Tseng Kuei-Hai, Corner “Hometown – Coco Magnolia”

Supervisor: Hakka Affairs Council
Organizer: Hakka Culture Development Center, Hakka Affairs Council
Co-Organizers: Pingtung County Government, Jiadong Township Office, Xinpi Township Office, National Jiadong Agricultural Vocational Senior High School, junior high and elementary schools in Jiadong Township, village offices in Jiadong Township, village and community development associations in Jiadong Township, Pingtung Jiadung Cultural Association, Jiadong Hsiao Family Old House.

Take a Walk (hangˇ liau)– Thirteen Villages on the South Bank
The only coastal region among Liudui (Six Clusters), “Zuodui” was known as the “Thirteen Villages on the South Bank” in the past. Early Hakka immigrants first settled in the area of present day Xinpi and Jiadong during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in the Qing dynasty. They first built the villages on the south bank and began settling in the area. Today, Zuodui has many historically unique century-old cluster houses and cultural landscape, as well as beautiful natural sceneries. The Hakka term “hangˇ liau” means “to take a walk,” and we sincerely invite you to visit the settlements and perceive the primitive and natural atmosphere and sceneries of Zuodui’s Hakka villages.

Corner – Museum
From fighting for homeland to protecting cultural asset, these preserved “beauty of power” from efforts of protection exhibit Hakka people’s perseverance and unity, while also preserving the unique cultural fabrics of local life.

Village is Museum—The Entire Jiadong Is a Museum
Jiadong Township will topple the conventional impression of museum, as diverse traditional architectural styles from different periods have been preserved in the settlement and the old street is also known as “Trail of Poets.” So, let’s take a walk through the township of cultural assets with three municipal heritage sites and four historic buildings, and jointly enter and read this breathing museum.

Power of Beauty from Efforts of Protection
In the Qing dynasty, Hakka people built fences and gates to protect their homeland. From the historic monument of the Battle of Bu Yue Building during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1895, to the many fortresses, shelters, and the Jiadong Airstrip, constructed by the Japanese army towards the end of WWII, these preserved heritage sites and historic buildings built for military purposes at the time have witnessed the Hakka ancestors’ strength and will of protecting their hometown. As times changed, the unique cluster buildings, culture, and folk customs of Hakka villages were gradually disappearing, and the villagers once again got together to fight for their cultural assets, which have enabled the conservation of unique features of local lifestyle in Hakka villages.

Stories Told by Settler Families
The Hakka ancestors crossed the Linbian River to settle in Jiadong, and different families or clans gradually formed clusters through the organization of “changhui (share-holding worship associations). Through the showcase, let’s hear the descendants of these families share their stories.

Remember (mienˋ hiˋ) – Coastal Memories
Zuodui is the only coastal region among Liudui (Six Clusters), and the ocean wind has nurtured Zuodui’s unique “ocean-flavored” culture. Let’s enter the settlements and search for the differences between Zuodui and other Hakka villages.

Joyous Hakka Festival
In spring, the folk custom in Jiadong area is to “build the house of luck and pray for the newborns,” which is the very manifestation of their religious belief with over 100 years of history. The “wooden house of luck” is the cultural treasure left behind by the Hakka ancestors. The Bogong belief written on the niche of the Temple of Three Mountain Kings in Laijia Village has also witnessed the diaspora of the people.

Delicious Hakka Delicacies
The light ocean breeze has given rise to Jiadong’s unique “ocean-flavored rice noodle”—from tuna, swordfish, to oyster, every household has its own “ocean flavor.” There is also the delicate and juicy “wax apple,” a lovely fruit that grows in ocean breezes. Don’t forget to taste these flavors of the ocean when you visit Jiadong.

Follow Zuodui GIS Map and Jointly Search for the Breathing Museum!