Hills, Homes, and Heritage Moments

Sam Yeh (Taiwan)

Ruan Qiao Magical Painted Village Zhudong Township Hsinchu County

The Exhibition of Photographs Highlighting the Romance of Northern Taiwan’s Hakka Villages is honored to have received the active participation and contribution of 22 photographers, including superior midlife Taiwanese photographers, seasoned Hakka photographers, and 10 photographers from around the world. Together, this team of photographers shares their observations and thoughts on both the nature of photography and life in Hakka villages.

Photography is a profound and focused approach to seeing and interpreting the world around us. The photographers involved in this project span a wide range of ages, and their approaches reflect both documentary and artistic stylings. Furthermore, their diverse backgrounds come together to form a rich and intriguing visual tapestry. With earnestness and sincerity, these photographers venture forth on a journey of displacement and observation across time and space in Hakka villages. They communed with the villagers and immersed themselves in the natural landscape. With each decisive click of the shutter, they convey their innermost feelings on the sights, historical architecture, day-to-day life, folk art, and people of these Hakka villages.

This year marks the 180th anniversary of the invention of photography. The myriad of creative techniques and styles used by photographers from Taiwan and abroad in this exhibition underscores the maturity in this art form. To mark this unique experience photographing in Hakka villages, the photographers used photographic techniques ranging from classical calotype and traditional photographic film to digital and drone photography. The photographers imprinted themselves onto the beauty of their Hakka village subjects by capturing priceless moments at various speeds and rhythms and from varying perspectives. Their experience and interpretation highlight the vitality and warmth of these villages.

The 150 photographs that were selected for this exhibition from the thousands of submissions have been categorized into six main themes. The past glory, present vitality, and future hopes of the “Hills, Homes, and Heritage” of Hakka villages have been brought to the fore through these indelible visual narratives.

Dreamy and meandering Romantic Route 3 is interwoven into the multifaceted Hakka cultural landscape and runs through the center of the area’s simple and industrious agricultural life. Romantic Route 3 is intimately connected to the Hakka cultural matrix. We hope in this outdoor exhibition to showcase the down-to-earth and warm nature of the Hakka people, to inspire visitor interest in this special corner of Taiwan, and to make you too a part of this landscape. We cordially invite all to visit the exhibition to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation both of Hakka culture and of the photographic arts.

Over the course of this project, the photography team has gained a much clearer appreciation of the importance of the Hakka people in Taiwan history and heritage and concurs that the Hakka should be given deeper respect and concern. It is our hope that this 2019 Hills, Homes, and Heritage Exhibition is the start of a movement to produce an ongoing, visual record of our Hakka villages. We invite even more photographers from Taiwan and abroad to join this project and help uncover and examine the deep historical and cultural roots of the Hakka people.

Kuo Chang Lin (Taiwan)

Remembering Captured Encounters Encounter in Neiwan In this photograph of 12 people we see travelers station crew and a mother child sharing an umbrella Neiwan Train Station Hengshan Township Hsinchu County