Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park 

Nestled at the intersection of Dingzhou Road and Shida Road, Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park offers visitors an authentic taste of Hakka culture. This cultural gem is conveniently located near Taipei Water Park and Treasure Hill Artist Village, with the Hakka-favored Longquan Market and a thriving Hakka community on Taishun Street just a short walk down Shida Road.

The park invites visitors to experience a pastoral journey and recall the rural memories of the urban Hakka people. Its cross-embankment platform connects to the adjacent riverside park, creating a seamless blend of Hakka cultural heritage and waterfront recreation that helps promote Hakka tourism throughout the region.

Built around six thematic elements—Humanities, Ecology, Education, Technology, Industry, and Agritourism—the park transformed the former Taipei Children's Transportation Museum into a cultural landmark. Developed by the Taipei City Government's Hakka Affairs Committee between 2008 and 2011, this 4.03-hectare project began with planning and design in October 2008, contract bidding in April 2009, and an official groundbreaking ceremony on May 20, 2009.

Written by 陳正翰, 黃謙恩, 林燁廷, 葛羽涵, and 李雨霏

Taipei Hakka Yimin Festival

The Taipei Hakka Yimin Festival originated in 1988 when Taipei's Hakka community brought Lord Yimin's memorial tablet from Xinpu Temple to Taipei for more convenient worship. Held each October at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall's Main Plaza, this annual cultural celebration has evolved to present modern urban Hakka culture through four core activities: rituals, parades, performances, and markets.

The festival aims to foster community engagement through strategic public-private partnerships while revitalizing Taipei's Hakka culture to attract participation across generations and ethnic groups. The celebration showcases Hakka heritage through a multifaceted approach emphasizing localization, industrialization, internationalization, and youth involvement. Ultimately, it strives to establish itself as a distinctive Hakka arts festival that enhances cultural visibility at Taipei, creating a meaningful platform for preserving and celebrating Hakka traditions in an urban context.

The festival harmoniously blends tradition and innovation. Hakka Yimin temples from across Taiwan gather at Taipei for blessing processions that highlight the spiritual essence of Hakka religious traditions. The festival embraces an immigrant festival perspective while featuring vibrant activities like deity pilgrimages, food offering ceremonies, and creative street parades—providing an engaging experience of Hakka cultural heritage.

Written by 魏雯潔, 蔡如氤, and 吳翊佳

The Hakka Community of Tonghua Street

The history of the Hakka community in Tonghua Street dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), when large numbers of Hakka immigrants moved from southern China to Taiwan and established settlements in the Taipei area. During the 1950s and 1960s, many Hakka people from southern Taiwan came to Taipei with hopes and aspirations, seeking better work opportunities. Tonghua Street area, with its favorable location near the Keelung River and commercial districts, gradually attracted Hakka families to settle there, forming a community with distinctive Hakka characteristics.

During the late Qing Dynasty and Japanese colonial period (1895-1945), residents of the Tonghua Street Hakka community mainly engaged in agriculture and small-scale commerce. Known for their diligence and frugality, they cultivated farmland, operated tea and grocery businesses, and gradually built family-based communities. At that time, Hakka was the primary language spoken locally, and traditional Hakka culture—such as ancestral worship rituals, cuisine, and festive customs—was actively preserved.

After World War II (post-1945), as Taipei rapidly developed, the Tonghua Street area transformed from a rural village into an urbanized community. The original Hakka settlement began to feel the effects of urban expansion, with traditional Hakka architecture and village patterns slowly disappearing, replaced by modern buildings and commercial facilities. However, some Hakka families remained and worked to preserve their culture by promoting the Hakka language and cuisine, keeping their traditions alive in the urban environment.

Today, although Tonghua Street has developed into a bustling commercial area, traces of Hakka culture can still be found—especially in local food traditions and community activities. This history not only documents the development of the Hakka community in Taipei but also reflects how traditional culture has transformed and adapted during Taiwan's urbanization process.

Written by 吳柏辰, 曾翊慈, 吳絢容, and 卓志謙

Monsoon: Reimagining Hakka Cuisine

Monsoon is a Neo-Hakkanese Vegan Experience Studio that originally operated in Shilin District before relocating to Sanzhi District in New Taipei City as a collaborative venture. The restaurant was co-founded by Chef Ted Liao and his partner Phil Han.

Ted studied food technology and fermentation technology  during his university years, which inspired him to bring a fresh perspective to traditional Hakka cuisine. He artfully reinvents classic Hakka dishes, primarily using Western cooking techniques to create the distinctive "Neo-Hakkanese" culinary style. Additionally, as his focus shifted toward plant-based nutrition, the menu gradually evolved from serving meat dishes to vegetarian offerings. His culinary philosophy and inspiration stem from his understanding of Hakka culture and his awareness of global issues. His business partner and Creative Director, Phil Han, is a Singaporean who crafted promotional campaigns for numerous hit shows and celebrities during his time in Los Angeles.  However, upon returning to Asia, he faced challenges until meeting Ted. Sharing a common vision, they infused their restaurant with creativity and experience.

Both the founders and their restaurant have received acclaim not only from the public but also from professional organizations. Monsoon was recognized with a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, becoming Taiwan's first Hakka vegetarian restaurant to receive such recognition. Chef Ted has served as a competition judge multiple times, and Phil has earned 24 international awards for his creativity and marketing expertise.

Monsoon serves as a platform that blends tradition with innovation. Through Ted and Phil's efforts, the restaurant continues to push the boundaries of Hakka cuisine, showcasing diverse possibilities while bringing Taiwanese culinary excellence to the international stage.

Written by 廖于媃, 許豈禎, 庄依玲, and 王思翰

Ketagalan Culture Center

Named after an indigenous tribe, Ketagalan Culture Center is located in Beitou District, Taipei City. It is the first education and training center in Taiwan that focuses on Taiwan’s indigenous peoples. In addition to regular exhibition, the center often hosts indigenous cultural activities and traditional handcraft exhibitions. It also provides facilities like a library, conference room and performance space for the public.

The center describes the history and traditions of the Plains Indigenous Peoples, as well as their arts, clothing and tools, adding a unique indigenous atmosphere to Beitou, a place famous for its hot springs. 

Over four hundred years ago, Beitou used to be the home of the Ketagalan people. In fact, the name itself is an approximation of “Pataauw,” the Ketagalan word for “Wizardess”. To preserve and promote indigenous peoples’ traditional arts and culture, Ketagalan Culture Center was established by Indigenous Peoples Commission of Taipei City Government in November, 2002. The entire building is designed to display the beauty of the indigenous peoples, providing urban indigenous people with dedicated space for cultural inheritance and skill training, helping them to preserve and share their rich heritage in the city.

The main building is ten stories high, with its exterior walls made of staggered stone slabs. Its strong and simple design resonates with the surrounding hot spring hotels and Beitou Park. The bright and spacious lobby on the first floor with its gorgeous tribal patchwork pattern tiles, the historical stone carvings and the unique wood carvings allow the visitors to be fascinated and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the indigenous tribe. Various hunting tools can also be seen hanging on the wall, inviting the imagination to the traditional life of the indigenous people chasing Formosan sambars and Formosan wild boars. Every scene and object in the culture center can make you feel the history of the indigenous peoples’ life!

Written by 林子瑄, 吳允祈, 吳宛霓, and 翁芋云

Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines 

The museum was founded by Mr. Ching-Fu Lin. Upholding the vision of preserving Taiwan's indigenous culture, he established the "N. W. Lin Foundation for Culture and Education" in 1985 and donated his two-decade collection of indigenous artifacts, embodying the spirit of "Taken from the community, giving back to society." The museum officially opened on June 9, 1994, becoming Taiwan's first private museum dedicated to indigenous cultures.  

The museum is devoted to the collection, preservation, and research of indigenous cultural artifacts. Through permanent exhibitions, special exhibitions, and diverse educational programs, it fosters public understanding and respect for indigenous peoples and continuously promotes Taiwanese indigenous cultures by serving as a platform for display, education, and exchange. 

The museum's permanent exhibition is divided into four themes:

1. Beliefs and Rituals: 
this section introduces the animistic beliefs, ancestral spirit worship, and headhunting customs of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples. Charts, written texts, and historical photographs explain the temporal and spatial framework of prehistoric sites in Taiwan, as well as the historical development of its Indigenous cultures. The exhibition presents the diverse and rich ritual practices of various ethnic groups through displays of ritual artifacts, images, and ceremonial implements.

2. Humans and the Natural Environment: 
this section provides an overview of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples and their geographic distribution, showcasing their cultural diversity. At the rear of the exhibition hall, a Paiwan slate carving represents the “mountains,” while a Tao fishing boat symbolizes the “sea.” These elements illustrate the Indigenous peoples’ adaptation to their natural environment through the vast and expansive mountains and sea.

3. Daily Life and Tools: this section features handicrafts and housing models from different Indigenous groups, demonstrating the connection between daily life and societal structure. These artifacts reflect the adaptive lifestyles of them, and highlight the relationship between everyday objects and their cultural context.

4. Clothing and Culture: 
this section showcases the beauty of Indigenous textiles and clothing in Taiwan, emphasizing their social and cultural significance. Through displays of traditional clothing, embroidery techniques, weaving processes, and ornamentation, visitors can experience the unique lifestyles and values of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples.

Written by 陳心怡 and 李彥箴

From Kipatauw to Beitou

In the early 17th century, Beitou settlement was a vibrant hub of activity for the Ketagalan people, a rare site where traces of tribal life, place names, culture, and a clear historical trajectory have been preserved. In Spanish and Dutch archival documents, the settlement was generally recorded as Kipatauw. At the time, the meaning of the name was unknown until the early Japanese colonial period, when scholar Kanori Ino conducted research in the area and revealed that “patauw” referred to a female shaman or wizardess.

By the mid-17th century, Kipatauw consisted of approximately 30 households and over 100 people. Though small in number, the descendants persisted continuously. Even into the early 20th century, a few households and individuals remained. Over time, the integration of people from the neighboring Halapei community further enriched the cultural fabric of Kipatauw.

Early historical records showed that Beitou settlement was divided into “Inner Beitou" and "Outer Beitou." Inner Beitou corresponded to present-day Beitou District in Taipei City, while Outer Beitou referred to areas around Tamsui District in New Taipei City. By the mid-19th century, Kipatauw had come to refer primarily to Inner Beitou. In 1896, when Ino Kanori conducted his survey,  Beitou settlement was largely confined to areas along the northern bank of the Southern Sulfur Creek. The neighboring Halapei community, due to migration, had intermingled and coexisted with Kipatauw.

Kipatauw was closely tied to the sulfur mines of Mt. Datun. During the Spanish -and Dutch colonial periods, sulfur was traded with outsiders for goods. The Dutch recorded that the harsh environment of the sulfur mining area made it difficult for outsiders to adapt, preventing them from gaining control over Kipatauw’s sulfur resources. Spanish documents emphasized that Kipatauw possessed abundant sulfur, making it wealthier than other village societies.

Kipatauw was not just a historical entry in textbooks—it remained a living space where cultural rhythms are still felt. From the evolution of its place name to the migrations of its people, from the sulfur industry to its spiritual legends, Kipatauw preserved not only the footprints of the Ketagalan people but also served as a significant starting point in the development of Taipei City.

Written by 葉庭吟, 李芷瑢 and 林暐倫