Taiwan is an island of 13,885 square miles opposite the southeast coast of the Chinese mainland and has a population of 13 million, including some 150,000 aborigines. Ethnologically, only these aborigines are indigenous Taiwanese and the rest are outsiders. Yet nearly 2 million inhabitants of the island still call themselves Hakka, meaning "guests" or "strangers".
Denominated on the mainland more than 10 centuries ago, the term Hakka has come to identify a highly industrious people. The Hakkas were living in Honan and Shantung provinces of north central China about the third century B.C. Then they were compelled to move south of the Yangtze river to escape invading hordes of such nomads as the Tatars and Mongols from the north. They finally settled down in Kiangsi, Fukien, Kwangtung, Kwangsi, and Hainan. They were called "strangers" by the native peoples.
Emigration of the Chinese to Taiwan took place as early as in the seventh century during the Sui dynasty. The early immigrants came mostly from Amoy and Chuanchow in Fukien province and were called Hoklo, meaning the "old people from Fukien". Thus the Hakkas once more became "strangers", because most of those who migrated to Taiwan came after the 16th century.
The first exodus of Hakkas to Taiwan took place around 1630 when a severe famine afflicted the mainland. The second was in the years just after 1662, when Cheng Cheng-kung, a general of the Ming court and known as Koxinga in the West, expelled the Dutch from the island. Some historians assert that Cheng, a native of Amoy, was a Hakka.
By the time of the Hakkas' arrival, the best land had been taken by the Hoklos and the cities were already established. Additionally, the two peoples spoke different dialects. The "strangers" found it difficult to find a place in the Hoklo communities. Most Hakkas were relegated to rural areas, where they farmed marginal land. The accompanying map shows that the majority of Hakkas still live in such agricultural counties as Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, and Pingtung. Those in Chiayi, Hualien, and Taitung migrated there from other areas during the Japanese occupation.
Strange Customs
As rural people living a hard life, the Hakkas have cultivated such virtues as diligence and austerity. Interestingly, they have developed some customs that are rare among the peoples of China. Most Chinese south of the Yangtze, including the Hoklos, eat rice gruel for breakfast. But the Hakkas don't. They reason that rice gruel is too quickly digested and cannot sustain their bodies in energy-consuming field work. Exceptions are found only in these cases:
—Occasional eating of gruel as a change or treat.
—Those who are too poor to eat anything else.
—The feeding of gruel to the sick, especially those who have dypepsia, as a substitute for boiled rice. A feeble person is often ridiculed as a "gruel eater".
Hakkas follow the rule of two-character given names strictly in the naming of children. Among well-to-do families, the first names of boys are prearranged by their ancestors. The progenitor of a clan lays down a genealogy based on a passage from the classics or such virtues as chung (loyalty), hsiao (fidelity), jen (benevolence), ai (love), hsin (faith), yi (righteousness), ho (harmony), and ping (peace). In the case of the virtues, the names of the first male child is preceded by Chung, the second by Hsiao, and so on. When two relatives of the same clan meet, they may discover their kinship from their given names.
Hakka women also have two-character given names. But the names of those above the age of 40 or so are unanimously suffixed by mei, meaning "younger sister". This is a sign of modesty—of showing respect for others by saying "I am your younger sister". This is similar to the Japanese custom of suffixing ko to most female names. Although the suffixing of mei was discouraged by the Japanese during the 1930s, some Hakkas in rural areas still observe this centuries-old way of naming.
No Bound Feet
The Hakka women have never bound their feet, probably because ancient Hakka culture was based on matriarchy. In the Hakka community of Pingtung in southern Taiwan, some women still till the fields while the men keep house. Obviously, those who must go out to the paddies cannot afford the luxury of binding their feet. Except for a few Hoklos and mainlanders, no foot-bound women can be seen on Taiwan today. The custom died out among the Hoklos and mainlanders early in this century.
The chi-pao, a high-collared, one-piece, tight-fitting dress, is favored by many Chinese women. However, except for modern dressup occasions, Hakka women do not wear it. They consider the chi-pao as too stuck-up and also as impractical for daily work. Hakka women of northern and central Taiwan wear blouse and skirt. Those in the south wear blouse and trousers. Among older Hakkas, white clothing is taboo except during the period of mourning.
Hakkas are among the world's great lovers of ablutions. They take a bath every day. A man may be considered a blasphemer if he worships his ancestors without having cleansed his body.
Generally speaking, the Hakkas are poorer than the Hoklos and more austere in marriage and funeral formalities. The Hakkas send their engagement gifts and the dowry in a truck or a taxi. The Hoklos, even those living in the big cities, hire a long procession of pedicabs or hand-pulled carts, each carrying a single gift.
Gifts of Sugar Cane
On the wedding day, the Hakka bride leaves her home for the bridegroom's before noon. Her parents do not attend the ceremony. Instead, they give a feast for relatives and friends after the bride is gone.
On the third day after the marriage, the newlyweds pay a courtesy call on the bride's parents. The parents give the young couple two, six or eight sugar canes to symbolize sweetness and longevity. The number of gifts must be of an even number but four is omitted, because both "four" and "death" are pronounced si in the Hakka dialect.
Most Hakkas are Taoists. The deceased are buried after consultation with the geomancer. The corpse is kept at home not more than three days. Then the casket is shouldered and carried to the cemetery by relatives. The Hakkas consider it a great shame for the casket to be carried by those who are not blood relatives of the deceased. In Hoklo communities, the remains may be kept at home for several months and the casket may be shouldered by hired undertakers.
The Hakkas seem to have a talent for language. Those living along the Taiwan trunk line railroad are virtually bilingual in Hakka and Amoy dialects. Perhaps because their forefathers lived in North China, Mandarin is easier for the Hakkas than for the Hoklos.
Hakka Dialects
The Hakka dialects spoken in Taiwan are classified into Hsinchu, Miaoli, and Pingtung categories. They differ mainly in tone. Nevertheless, differences in idiom also occur. For instance, "Thank you" is rendered as Shin-mung ngi (Its very kind of you) in Taoyuan and Hsinchu, An tse-sei (You're so considerate) in Miaoli and Pingtung, and Lo-fat (I'm obliged to you for your trouble) in Tungshih near Taichung. Except for kui (return) in Pingtung, "Go home" is expressed by chyon or tson (turn) elsewhere. Kui is more classical than chyon or tson.
According to the census of the Japanese Governor-General's Office, the island's population at the end of 1936 totaled 5,451,863, including 4,140,544 Hoklos and 756,682 Hakkas. The population had increased to 6,585,841 in 1943. The table shows the 1936-43 breakdown.
In view of the fact that Taiwan's population has doubled since 1943, it is reasonable to estimate the present number of the Hakkas at 1.8 million.
Before World War II, there were several thousand Hakkas in Taipei. The present number is estimated at 100,000. It is interesting that half of the more than 300 drugstores in Taipei are operated by Hakkas.
Despite their demographic and geographical handicaps, the Hakkas have made significant achievements in the history of Taiwan. Taiwan was ceded to Japan by the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki. When the news of cession spread to Taiwan, the people proclaimed a republic. Tang Ching-sung, former Governor of Taiwan, dispatched by the Manchu court, was elected president. Chiu Feng-chia, a Hakka from Taichung, was named vice president. When the republic was subdued by the Japanese six months later, Chiu went to Kwangtung to join the revolutionary forces led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
During the 50 years of Japanese occupation, the people of Taiwan rose in revolt more than 100 times. The most noteworthy uprising was that led by Lo Fu-hsing, a Hakka from Miaoli, in 1913. A member of the Kuomintang, he took part in the battle at Huang Hua Kang (Yellow Flower Mound) near Canton in 1911. After the birth of the Republic of China, Lo returned to Taiwan upon the orders of Dr. Sun. By March of 1913, Lo had organized some 50,000 party members for a large-scale revolt. Before the realization of his scheme, he and thousands of his followers were arrested. Lo was hanged in 1914 at the age of 31.
In the free China of today, the highest political position held by a Hakka is that of president of the Legislative Yuan (parliament). Huang Kuo-shu, a native of Hsinchu, went to the mainland for higher education after graduation from a secondary school. He joined the Chinese Army, and was a lieutenant general when World War II ended. He was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1947 and became its vice president three years later. He has held the presidency since 1961. There are many Hakka diplomats and armed forces officers.
In pre-Japanese days, contact between Hakkas and Hoklos was not close for lack of a common spoken language. Under Japanese rule, they became closer because of the "we are both oppressed" feeling. Since restoration of Taiwan to the Republic of China in 1945, they have cooperated with mainlanders to make the island a model province of the Republic of China. With intermarriage now the rule, Taiwan is becoming the crucible of a renewed Chinese race that combines Hakkas, Hoklos, mainlanders, and aborigines in the same package.