Hakka Cultural Museum Introduction
The Hakka Cultural Museum is located in Xishi Village, Jhutian Township, Pingtung County. It features the distinctive Hakka "walled house" architectural style, representing a significant aspect of Hakka ancestral home aesthetics. The interior is divided into thematic spaces such as the Hakka Immigrant Settlement Exhibition Area, Hakka Rural Life Exhibition Area, Hakka Lifestyle Exhibition Area, and Hakka Culture and Heritage Exhibition Area. It also includes a collection of Hakka artifacts, an audiovisual room, a special exhibition area, and a performance venue. A visit to the Hakka Cultural Museum allows one to deeply appreciate the core values of the Hakka community, including loyalty, respect for ancestors, diligence, thrift, and community spirit. From the traditional Hakka architectural layout, one can observe the tendency for clan gathering among Hakka people. For the Hakka community, which consists of immigrants from other regions, "home" should be the strongest fortress capable of fending off external intrusions. Therefore, Liudui architecture often carries a strong defensive character, and the "batch room" is a unique feature of Hakka buildings, where relatives of the same ancestor reside together, typically in forms like twin halls, round houses, and walled houses. The Hakka Cultural Museum adopts the layout of a round house, enabling visitors to fully understand the appearance of Hakka architecture while reflecting the Hakka people’s emphasis on familial bonds. In the atrium of the round house, a large blue cloth shirt hangs prominently, immersing visitors in Hakka culture upon entering. The blue cloth shirt is a traditional Hakka garment, with design details varying according to class and age. The artifacts and tools displayed in the museum are quite diverse, including weights, raincoats, ox carts, and shoulder poles related to rural life; furnishings related to homes such as study rooms, ancestral halls, kitchen utensils (large stoves, earthenware jars), and bedrooms (red beds, foot basins); as well as items related to clothing like antique sewing machines, cloth-pressing stones, blue shirt pattern deconstruction diagrams, various traditional Hakka garments, belly bands, and small shoes for bound feet. Each exhibit is worthy of careful appreciation.
