Kaohsiung Hakka Rice Festival Kicks Off with Meinong Agri-Tourism Tour

Kaohsiung is celebrating its Hakka heritage with a series of agricultural and cultural tours leading up to the main "Rice Fragrance Fills the Village. 2026 Kaohsiung Hakka Rice Festival" on August 29. The first event, a "Hakka Village Agri-tourism Small Tour," kicked off in Meinong on August 1.

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From a grain of rice to a bowl of rice, seeing Kaohsiung Hakka villages.

Under the theme "From a Grain of Rice to a Bowl of Rice, Seeing Kaohsiung Hakka Villages," the tour offered a deep dive into Hakka culture. Participants learned about the origins of rice, the characteristics of Meinong's 147 rice variety, and the stories behind rural life. The experience included a hands-on demonstration of rice milling and a guided walk through Meinong's historic water channels and villages, visiting sites like the Jingzi Pavilion and Songwu Academy.

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Meinong is an important Hakka settlement in Kaohsiung and a major rice-producing area in southern Taiwan. Therefore, we arranged the first stop of the series of small tours in Meinong, starting from the most familiar 'bowl of rice' in daily life to understand the stories of the land, rural life, and Hakka culture hidden behind white rice.

Attendees enjoyed a traditional Hakka meal featuring dishes such as stir-fried rice cakes, braised pork trotters, and stir-fried wild rice stems. The afternoon included a cultural performance, "Singing Through Generations - Hakka Beauties Tour Concert," where Hakka singer Xu Shihui shared songs about Hakka life and connection to the land. This event aims to highlight the rich and diverse appeal of Hakka food culture.

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Singing Through Generations - Hakka Beauties Tour Concert