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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Kaohsiung Mayoral Candidate Pledges Hakka Language, Youth Support

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Lai Rui-long met with Hakka elders to discuss community needs.
  • He pledged to focus on Hakka language preservation and youth engagement if elected.
  • Lai emphasized the importance of Hakka culture as a city brand for Kaohsiung.

Lai Rui-long, the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for Kaohsiung mayor, met with prominent Hakka community leaders and representatives of Hakka organizations to solicit their input and secure their support. Lai, who is married into a Hakka family, emphasized his commitment to fostering Hakka culture and language within the city.

Hakka supporting Rui-long, Rui-long supporting Hakka!

— SupportersChanting to show support for Lai Rui-long.

During the meeting, Hakka groups presented Lai with seven key policy visions, including strengthening organizational capacity, expanding human resources and budgets for Hakka affairs, promoting the revival of the Hakka language, and building a more inclusive urban environment. They also called for nurturing youth participation in public affairs, organizing international Hakka cultural events, developing Hakka culinary brands and industries, and enhancing digital content related to Hakka culture, alongside international exchanges.

Lai expressed gratitude for the elders' support and pledged to prioritize "deepening the Hakka language and rooting youth in the community" as key goals. He highlighted that Kaohsiung is home to over 400,000 Hakka people, making it a significant center for Hakka culture in Taiwan. Lai envisions integrating Hakka culture more deeply into the city's identity, aiming to make it a distinct urban brand.

I love Kaohsiung.

— Lai Rui-longExpressing his affection for the city.

He reiterated his past proposals for a "Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural City" that balances cultural heritage with economic development, focusing on memory, innovation, and industry. Lai also noted his previous efforts in the legislature, where he helped pass amendments to the Hakka Basic Law, officially recognizing the Hakka language as a national language. He vowed to continue promoting the language and preserving this vital cultural heritage, aiming to make Kaohsiung a city that celebrates diversity and fosters shared prosperity among all ethnic groups.

Culture is ethnic inheritance, and the economy is the future of the region.

— Lai Rui-longStating his belief in the importance of culture and economy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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