Hakka History, Culture, And Impressions

Authors: Noriko Iijima, Kawai Hironao, and Hiroshi Kobayashi
Translator: Chou Chun-yu
Publication Date: January 2021
Most existing publications on the Hakka people tend to emphasize their distinctiveness and cultural excellence. While such portrayals help strengthen Hakka ethnic consciousness, they often create an overly idealized image that feels discordant to those who are themselves Hakka or have lived among them.
In response, the authors —Iijima Noriko, Hironao Kawai, and Kobayashi Hiroshi — seek to present a more balanced and comprehensive picture of Hakka society through clear, accessible writing and grounded scholarship. Drawing on a wide range of research findings, case studies, and extensive fieldwork, this book integrates different perspectives to reveal the Hakka’s rich diversity.
Structured around three major themes — History and Geography, Life and Customs, and Representation and Identity — the volume explores thirty subtopics. Each topic introduces key cultural phenomena, traces their origins, and examines how various viewpoints interpret them.
The authors, who have long conducted field research across East Asia, draw from their first-hand experiences living and interacting with Hakka communities. Their vivid observations and approachable prose invite readers to experience the many facets of Hakka life and culture across the world.