The Characteristic of Hakka People

  Hakka people is a branch of Chinese nation, they migrated to south of China because of the wars. They had been migrated for a long long time, they migrated to south of China, overseas islands and Taiwan. Because they keep migrating, this made their character became strong, bearable and hard-working. Because they had to make effort to keep alive. So, the special of their character is to be industrious and thrifty. they work hard in the farm everyday and live in an simple life.

 From the clothing, we can also fin out Hakka people's character. Most of their clothes are blue shirts, they are simple tailored, dressed comfortable, easy for working and not get diry easily. But this kind of clothing is hardly find in Mei-Nong, people sell blue shirts to tourists as souvenirs.

The famous place where sell blue shirts.

   The other special character of Hakka people is their food. Though they had been migrated, their food are simple but full their own feature. Salty is always the feature of Hakka people. Because they sweat when they work hard in the farm, plant the crop, they have to resupply the saline. And the type of food also reflacts Hakka people are thrifty. Simple meals, simple vegetables and the technique of preseved food by salt, these condition all tell us that how thrifty they are.

The famous Hakka food- rice noodle

Simple meals, simple vegetables.

salty food.

source:

 

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The history of the oild paper umbrella

  When we talk about the oiled paper umbrella, everyone will think about Me-Nong. Oiled paper umbrella has already become a symbol which represents Mei-Nong culture. In the early time of Mei-Nong, umbrella is not only use for sunshad or raining, but also use as essensial things in the wedding. Because in Chinese, "paper" sounds like "son". In the wedding, to bride, give the umbrella means to bless she can pregnant quickly. In addition, in the word of "umbrella" in Chinese, there are many "people" in the the word. That means people bless this new couple will get more and more people from the wedding. And when you open the umbrella, the umbrella will become a big circle. that means people bless the new couple have a wonderful life. Because in Chinese, "circle" sounds like "wonderful".

  The technique of oiled paper umbrella was recommand from Japan. And invited master to teach skill from China. In 1960s, this is the time that the oiled paper umbrella reached the high peak. There were more than twenty factories of producing the umbrella in Mei-Nong and produce more than 20,000 umbrellas each year. But after the industry was developed rapidly, the chemical material unbrella replaced the oiled paper umbrella. Because the plastic umbrella was more cheap, convenient, durable and easy to carry than the oild paper umbrella.
  But after 1970, Taiwan's economic became better and better. This situation brought tourism alive. This also made the oiled paper umbrella alive. The umbrella became a souvenir instead of the original functions.

sorce:
http://www.google.com.tw/search?hl=zh-TW&rlz=1T4ADFA_zh-TWTW402TW404&q=%E7%BE%8E%E6%BF%83%E6%B2%B9%E7%B4%99%E5%82%98&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=IuQDT-bUCsuQiQeh3Y2WAg&biw=911&bih=334&sei=JOQDT578La2TiAfvpMmsAg

Agriculture history in Mei-Nong

  Mei-Nong is one of the Hakka towns which is located on the south of Taiwan. Mei-Nong is rounded by mountains,  the landscape in mei-Nong is beautiful. Because there are mountains around, rivers near by, clear lake and fine climate, mei-Nong is always a good place for people to live in. On the agricultural aspect, Mei-Nong is also a good place on growing crop. At the early period of time, after Hakka people moved to Mei-Nong, they lived a agricultural lifestyle. According to the developement of Mei-Nong argiculture, they had various types of agriculture. At the first season, they grew dry crop. The other season grew paddy rice, and one season grew tabacco. And now, because of the society and policy, Mei-Nong agriculture has changed.

Mei-Nong's lamdform is a bowl.

dry crop

paddy rice

Tabacco

   At first, because Mei-Nong was located on between river Nantzuhsien and river Laonung, water facility was well developed, irrigation was convenient and the land was fertile. These are reasons why Mei-Nong was so benefit on agriculture. But, began in 1939, Japanese government started to plant tobacco. Under the force authority, Mei-Nong people started to plant a large number of tabacco. Then, Mei-Nong became the biggest producer in Taiwan. And the output reached the top peak in 1970. At that time, 1/4 Taiwan tabacco were come from Mei-Nong. In this period, tabacco was the most important incomes in Mei-Nong. But now, this special figure of Mei-Nong had declined after tabacco monopoly system was canceled. Now, less Hakka people plant tabacco in Me-Nong and process machine was either discard or vanish.

  besides the tabacco was the main agriculture of Mei-Nong, there still other important agriculture. for example, rice has been grown in Mei-Nong from the past till now. After tabacco declined, growing rice become refined. Now, Mei-Nong has developed their own brand which represents their special rice, called " Mei-Nong Rice".

Sorce:
  http://lalabox.pixnet.net/album/photo/117900168-%E7%BE%8E%E6%BF%83%E7%B1%B3-%E5%8C%85%E8%A3%9D%E8%A2%8B%E8%A8%AD%E8%A8%88

Mei-Nong tourist spots

     Nowadays, Mei-Nong has be developed from agricultural society to tourist industry. When I visited Mei-Nong, I found out that there are some places that most tourists love to visit and take pictures. I would like to introduce the most three popular tourist spots in Mei-Nong.

     First is the east city gate, it is a historic muniment Mei-Nong. It is the oldest city gate in Me-Nong and was built in 1755. The fuction of the east city gate is preventing the attack from aborigines. Aborigines were driven out by Hakka people even though they had been living in Mei-Nong for a long long time. Though the east city gate hasn't be used nowadays, it is still a historic meaning to Hakka people.

     The second is Jung Jeng Lake. This is the second largest lake in Kaohsiung and it's function is restoring water for agriculture. There is a mountain at the northwest side of Jung Jeng Lake and it is arround by fields at the other three sides. Also, there is a pavilion which is located near the center of the lake. The water of Jung Jeng Lake reflects mountain and sky, this creates spectacular and beautiful scenery.

     The third tourist spot I would like to introduce is Zhong Li He museum. Mei-Nong can be seen a hometown of Zhong Li He, there were some famous writtings which he wrote when he was in Mei-Nong. In the museum, there are not only the collection of his great writtings but also the experience of his life. Zhong Li He symbolizes a great writer of Hakka. The museum even show the surroundings when he is writting.

Important Mei-Nong structures

     There are some important structures in Mei-Nong. Besides traditional and modern buildings which I have mentioned before, there still many important structures which represent Hakka culture. First, I would like to introduce temples. Temples can be seen everywhere. Some of them are big which are decorated solemn; some are small which are located just beside a tree. Hakka people are not monotheists. they believe in many gods because of health, work, examination, agriculture, and worshiping ancestors.

     Second is the structure of word worshipping. In the ancient time, Hakka people were impoverished by living in mountains. Becuase Hakka people immigrated Taiwan too late and most fertile lands were occupied by Han people, they had lived an hard life for a long time. In order to have better life, they make hopes on imperial examination. Hakka people would put books, papers which have words on them into word worshipping and burn them.

     Third, the other important structure which represent Mei-Nong is the tabacco building. Tabacco buildings are places which Hakka people manufacture tabacco and all of them are built above the roof. In addition, in 1975-1967 BC, tabacco planting area in Mei-Nong are the biggist in Taiwan. In other word, tabacco  was an important industry. But when I visited Mei-Nong, it took me a lot of time of looking for tabacco buildings. In 1987, the policy of opening foreign tabacco and wine which attack Mei-Nong tabacco industry. Tabacco industry has been declined and barely Hakka people use tabacco buildings. Tabacco buildings were much fewer than traditional soil buildings, most of them are either destructive by strong typhoon or abandoned.

special food of Hakka

     When we talk about a culture, we must can not miss its food. Hakka food are not like the big meal we usually see in the expensive restaurant, they are normal and tasy normal food just like we usually eat in our daily life at home. Though Hakka food are normal like palin dishes, they are features of Hakka culture. This is menu of the Hakka restaurant that I visited in Mei-Nong.

     In vegetables, like cabbage, fu vegetables,  water lilies, and so on which symbol Hakka food. Though they are normal like plain dishes, Hakka people usually eat them in their daily life. In meat, like fries pig intestines, sausage, squid, are famous and popular in Hakka dishes. 

Fu vegetables



 Squid

     Furthermore, the most famous food which represents Hakka is rice noodle. This is the most famous and popular food of Hakka, I found almost everywhere in Mei-Nong. Almost every restaurant in Mei-Mong sell rice noodle, and restaurants are full of people, including locals and tourists. In addition, in order to attract more people, some restaurants use rice noodle as name of their restaurants.

 Peanut tofu is my favorite Hakka food. I found it when I visited Mei-Mong. This dish is not like normal tofu that we usually eat. When you clip up the tofu, it won't shatter. It is tight and soft. 

Special experience in Mei-Nong

     Hello, everyone, my name is Tina. I came from Tainan and now I am studying in Tunghai university. Most of my relatives speak Taiwanese. I have rare chances to learn other culture because my home town is a strong culture. Tainan can be seen as an independent, powerful and large culture. Visiting Mei-Nong is an accident because I took a course that students had to do a research about one Hakka. I would like to introduce this beautiful town and what I found when I visited Mei-Nong.


     Mei-Nong is located in a mountain plain of Kaohsiung. Most inhabitants are Hakka people but more and more people like adults, teenagers and children flow away. Owing to work, education, money they leave their hometown. While I visited Mei-Nong, I only saw aged people or grandparents. I asked local people that why there are few young adults here. They said their children or grandchildren will come back just in the holidays or weekends, they don't live in here.

     First, I would like to introduce the buildings in Mei-Nong. I divide these buildings into two types. They are tranditional Hakka building and modern cement building. Traditional Hakka building's walls are made up by soil. And the roof is built by red tiles. But when the time is past, there are less and less traditional Hakka buildings in Mei-Nong. Few Hakka people live in traditional building nowadays. Most of the buildings are either collapsed or used to be like storeroom.  Most people in Mei-Nong live in the modern houses instead of the traditional houses. 

  Thus, when I visited Mei-Nong, I spent a bit long time looking for traditional Hakka houses. After trying so hard to look for and asking local people, I finally found some. In my point of view, I divided trditional Hakka houses into two parts, they are big houses with ponds and courtyard houses with two wings to both right and left sides.

  The par of Hakka culture which I most interested in is the umbrella-made of oiled paper and bamboo frame. Mei-Nong umbrella is famous not only internal but also external, people visit Mei-Nong for seeing the beautiful umbrella and making process.

In Chinese word, "umbrella" is pictograph. The word means that there are four little men under a big man, and there is a pole in the middle to support the big man. Furthermore, the umbrella is made in circle, and in Chinese "circle" is homonymic to "perfection" and "fate". In Hakka traditional custom, umbrella also represents "together" and "affinity".