The 2023 World Hakka Exposition — Taiwan's largest international cultural event of the year — brought together Hakka communities from across five continents in a single, unprecedented celebration of heritage, identity, and the future.
Jointly organized by the Cabinet-level Hakka Affairs Council and the Taoyuan City Government, the expo set out to make Taiwan the global center of Hakka culture — the heartland from which a new Hakka cultural movement would radiate outward to the world.
The theme — "Travel to Tomorrow" — reflects the Hakka people's historic spirit of migration, adaptation, and renewal. Having spread across the globe while carrying their traditions with them, the Hakka are a people who have always found ways to root themselves in new lands while staying connected to their origins.
"Rooted in Taiwan, connected to the world — the Hakka story is one of resilience, migration, and the undying bond between people and their culture."
— 2023 Hakka Expo, Taiwan Pavilion themeTwo major pavilions anchored the expo at Taoyuan Sports Park, accessible via the Taoyuan Airport MRT A19 station. Together they told the complete story of Hakka — from ancient origins to a bold, technology-shaped future.
Themed "Roots and Prosperity – Better with Hakka," the Taiwan Pavilion served as a microcosmic encyclopedia of Taiwan's Hakka culture. Regional areas from across Taiwan — Taoyuan, Miaoli, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and more — each presented their distinct Hakka story through immersive theater, motion-sensing installations, and large-scale digital art. The pavilion won widespread national and international acclaim and drew visitors of all generations.
The World Pavilion charted the extraordinary global journey of the Hakka diaspora — how Hakka communities left their ancestral homelands in China, journeyed to every corner of the world, and created rich hybrid cultures wherever they settled. Four major display sections and the World Hakka Hall of Fame honored legendary Hakka figures from history who shaped nations. Its design won the prestigious MUSE Design Award for Interior Design.
Scattered across Taoyuan, each with its own distinctive character and exhibition focus.
Plus 17 satellite exhibition areas throughout the city — making the entire city of Taoyuan an outdoor museum.
The Hakka — meaning "guest families" (客家) — are a Han Chinese subgroup with a rich history of migration spanning over a millennium. From Fujian and Guangdong, they spread across Asia and the world, carrying a distinct language, cuisine, music, and set of values with them wherever they went. In Taiwan, they represent the country's largest ethnic minority, with the greatest concentration in Taoyuan.
Hakka is a distinct Chinese dialect — rich, tonal, and deeply expressive — spoken by an estimated 80 million people worldwide. Preserving the language is central to Hakka cultural identity, and Taiwan has led efforts in Hakka language education, media, and revitalization programs.
Hakka cuisine is celebrated for its bold, preserved flavors — the result of a people who historically had to make the most of simple ingredients. Signature dishes include lei cha (pounded tea), ban tiao (flat rice noodles), pickled mustard greens, and pork belly with preserved vegetables. The expo featured a lively Hakka food bazaar showcasing these traditions.
Hakka mountain songs (山歌, shange) are a form of folk music used historically to communicate across hillsides and express deep emotion. The Hakka Bayin (八音) ensemble — using eight categories of instruments — is a treasured traditional art form. The expo featured world-class performances by local and international groups throughout its 66 days.
Hakka artisanship is distinguished by indigo-dyed fabric (藍染), intricate embroidery, and handmade oil-paper umbrellas. These crafts carry deep symbolic meaning and are passed down across generations. The expo presented contemporary collaborations — including a Louis Vuitton partnership featuring Hakka oil-paper umbrellas and bamboo crafts — that connected tradition with global fashion.
The iconic Hakka Tulou — large circular earthen fortresses built for communal living and defense — are among the world's most distinctive architectural forms. Recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites, they embody the Hakka values of community, self-reliance, and perseverance. Exhibits at the expo traced the evolution of Hakka settlement patterns from fortress to modern urban community.
Hakka communities exist in over 80 countries across all five continents — from Malaysia and Singapore to Jamaica, Mauritius, California, and Brazil. Five iconic world leaders have been of Hakka descent, including Lee Kuan Yew and Deng Xiaoping. The World Pavilion celebrated this extraordinary global network and the unique cultural fusions it has produced.
Taiwan's Hakka communities are concentrated along three distinctive routes, each with its own landscape, history, and cultural flavor — all celebrated in the Taiwan Pavilion.
Winding through the mountains of Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli, this scenic highway is the cultural spine of northern Hakka Taiwan — flanked by tea plantations, old streets, and ancestral halls.
The "Six Garrisons" of Pingtung and Kaohsiung — established in 1721 when Hakka villagers united to defend their communities — remain a living symbol of Hakka resilience and self-organization.
Stretching along Taiwan's eastern rift valley, this corridor traces the journeys of Hakka farmers who ventured to Hualien and Taitung, blending their heritage with Indigenous cultures and the dramatic Pacific landscape.
Before the main expo, a special preview exhibition opened at the Presidential Office in Taipei — introducing the global Hakka diaspora and five iconic world leaders of Hakka descent to a broad national and international audience.
Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan officially opened the expo at Taoyuan Sports Park with a ceremony attended by officials, community leaders, and international guests. Taiwan's largest Naked-eye 3D light sculpture show launched the same evening at the Taiwan Pavilion.
The 66-day program featured world-class performing groups from across the Hakka diaspora, large-scale installation art, a themed bazaar with nearly 100 Hakka businesses, and food courts offering authentic Hakka cuisine from around the world.
The expo closed having surpassed all expectations — attracting over 11 million visitors, nearly double the initial forecast. The World Pavilion design won the MUSE Design Award. Mayor Chang San-Cheng announced the pavilion's transformation into a permanent VR/AR immersive Digital Art Exhibition Hall.
The Taiwan Pavilion's exhibitions were preserved and expanded with immersive technology. Young local artists were invited to collaborate, ensuring the legacy of the 2023 Hakka Expo continues to be accessible to future generations.
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