Hakka Living Museum Series, Vol. 4 – Tile, Bricks, And Ceramics

Author: Deng, Shu-hui
Publication Date: October 2007
The Hakka Living Museum Series is a collection of works based on extensive field investigations and ethnographic documentation of Hakka culture. Initiated by the Preparatory Office of the Taiwan Hakka Cultural Center, Council for Hakka Affairs, Executive Yuan, this series aims to preserve and promote Hakka heritage by selecting themes that resonate with the general public. Topics include familiar aspects of daily life such as “Blue Garments,” “Oil-Paper Umbrellas,” and “Pottery Kilns” (representing Hakka crafts), as well as “Tobacco Curing Barn,” “Rice Milling Workshop,” and “Irrigation Canals” (representing industrial and agricultural heritage sites).
Tile and pottery production have long been vital industries in the Miaoli region. Drawing on years of fieldwork and documentation, the author traces the historical evolution and cultural context of local kiln traditions. In addition to illustrating the important role of Miaoli’s ancient kilns in the history of Taiwan’s ceramic development, the book also explores how locally produced tiles, bricks, and hui (硘, broadly meaning “ceramics”) express the distinctive qualities of Hakka life and the character of local industries.