Hakka Research Center
The Hakka Research Center at Tajen University is dedicated to promoting Hakka culture, supporting regional development, and advancing interdisciplinary research through close collaboration with local communities. Located in southern Taiwan, the University is situated near the core area of the Liudui Hakka settlements and is approximately 15 minutes from the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park. The surrounding communities are home to Hakka, Indigenous, Hoklo, and New Immigrant populations, creating a culturally diverse environment rich in historical and cultural resources.
Building upon these unique regional advantages, the Center focuses on cultivating Hakka-related professional talent, integrating local resources into entrepreneurship and innovation education, and promoting Hakka agricultural products and traditional cuisine. By combining the University's academic strengths with the abundant coastal and mountain tourism resources of southern Taiwan, the Center promotes low-carbon experiential tourism centered on Hakka villages, irrigation canal ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Through these efforts, the Center aims to foster professionals capable of connecting Hakka culture with tourism, ecological conservation, local gastronomy, and regional industries.
Although Tajen University is located in Yanpu Township rather than a traditional Hakka stronghold, the University's founders and leadership have maintained a strong commitment to Hakka culture. In addition, many faculty members, staff, and students either have Hakka backgrounds or actively identify with and support Hakka cultural development, providing a solid foundation for the Center's academic and community engagement.
The Center consists of faculty members from various colleges, enabling interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple fields. Since its establishment, research has encompassed arts, culture, tourism, environmental sustainability, community development, and cultural heritage preservation. Beginning in 2017, the Center adopted Changzhi Township as a long-term partner for regional revitalization, supporting initiatives aligned with Taiwan's national tourism policies that emphasize experiential tourism, rural revitalization, and the development of distinctive local attractions.
As part of the University's commitment to University Social Responsibility (USR), the Center has actively promoted low-carbon experiential travel and food and agricultural education by integrating Hakka cultural heritage, ecological farms, and community resources. These initiatives extend beyond Changzhi Township to neighboring Hakka communities, including Neipu, Linluo, Ligang, Jiuru, Gaoshu, and surrounding urban areas. Through collaborative projects, the Center supports ecological tourism, historical and cultural preservation, environmental education, and sustainable rural development.
Research and outreach activities also emphasize the ecological conservation of regional river basins and irrigation canal systems, including the Ailiao River, Donggang River, Wannian River, Shashe River, and Linbian River. By integrating environmental conservation with cultural preservation and community participation, the Center seeks to enhance local economic development while promoting harmonious coexistence between people and nature in accordance with the principles of the Satoyama Initiative.
Since 2020, the Center has further expanded its interdisciplinary research and outreach to include arts and culture, community development, public health, wellness, environmental sustainability, and other emerging issues, continuing to strengthen its role as a bridge between academic research, cultural preservation, and sustainable regional development.
Building upon these unique regional advantages, the Center focuses on cultivating Hakka-related professional talent, integrating local resources into entrepreneurship and innovation education, and promoting Hakka agricultural products and traditional cuisine. By combining the University's academic strengths with the abundant coastal and mountain tourism resources of southern Taiwan, the Center promotes low-carbon experiential tourism centered on Hakka villages, irrigation canal ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Through these efforts, the Center aims to foster professionals capable of connecting Hakka culture with tourism, ecological conservation, local gastronomy, and regional industries.
Although Tajen University is located in Yanpu Township rather than a traditional Hakka stronghold, the University's founders and leadership have maintained a strong commitment to Hakka culture. In addition, many faculty members, staff, and students either have Hakka backgrounds or actively identify with and support Hakka cultural development, providing a solid foundation for the Center's academic and community engagement.
The Center consists of faculty members from various colleges, enabling interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple fields. Since its establishment, research has encompassed arts, culture, tourism, environmental sustainability, community development, and cultural heritage preservation. Beginning in 2017, the Center adopted Changzhi Township as a long-term partner for regional revitalization, supporting initiatives aligned with Taiwan's national tourism policies that emphasize experiential tourism, rural revitalization, and the development of distinctive local attractions.
As part of the University's commitment to University Social Responsibility (USR), the Center has actively promoted low-carbon experiential travel and food and agricultural education by integrating Hakka cultural heritage, ecological farms, and community resources. These initiatives extend beyond Changzhi Township to neighboring Hakka communities, including Neipu, Linluo, Ligang, Jiuru, Gaoshu, and surrounding urban areas. Through collaborative projects, the Center supports ecological tourism, historical and cultural preservation, environmental education, and sustainable rural development.
Research and outreach activities also emphasize the ecological conservation of regional river basins and irrigation canal systems, including the Ailiao River, Donggang River, Wannian River, Shashe River, and Linbian River. By integrating environmental conservation with cultural preservation and community participation, the Center seeks to enhance local economic development while promoting harmonious coexistence between people and nature in accordance with the principles of the Satoyama Initiative.
Since 2020, the Center has further expanded its interdisciplinary research and outreach to include arts and culture, community development, public health, wellness, environmental sustainability, and other emerging issues, continuing to strengthen its role as a bridge between academic research, cultural preservation, and sustainable regional development.
