Hakka Yimin Festival Opens in Xinpu, Hsinchu County: Join the Mini Tour and Pray Together

The 2019 Yimin Festival kicked off with great fanfare at the Yimin Temple in Xinpu, Hsinchu County! The Yimin Festival (Yimin Ji) is highly representative in Hakka culture and is the only intangible cultural asset among the important folk customs designated by the state that belongs to Hakka village heritage, making it highly symbolic and valuable as cultural heritage.

The Yimin Festival activities began on the 21st, with the welcoming of the Yimin Lord to the festival area for a procession and blessings, followed by the seating ceremony conducted according to traditional rituals. The series of events will not conclude until August 22, when the Yimin Lord is escorted back to the temple. During the month-long celebration, activities include raising the lantern pole, the water lantern ceremony, and the grand celebration ceremony. The Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau has added a series of events, including Yimin story campus tours, Yimin culture lectures, Yimin mini tours, and Hakka opera arts performances, allowing the public to learn about Yimin culture in more diverse ways.

To invite travelers of all ages to explore Hsinchu together, the Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau has launched a one-day "Yimin Festival Mini Tour." In addition to leading visitors to a deeper understanding of the Yimin Festival, it visits the Hakka town of Xinpu, which was reclaimed in the 18th century, and takes visitors into the alleys of the old street to admire the century-old street scene preserved since the Japanese colonial period. Xinpu Township is predominantly Hakka, and to this day retains many exquisitely built Hakka ancestral halls, giving rise to the saying "three streets, six lanes, nine ancestral halls."

The one-day mini tour departs from Taipei Station. In the morning, it visits the county-designated historic site of the Liu Family Ancestral Hall in Xinpu and the visitor service center, leading visitors into local history and culture. At noon, a tour of the Xinpu Old Street is arranged, with a taste of authentic traditional Hakka flavors. In the afternoon, there is a unique persimmon dyeing DIY experience, as well as the highlight of the Yimin Festival, the water lantern activity! The departure date is August 19, and registration is open from now on the website (https://travel.liontravel.com/detail?NormGroupID=dd2f9a83-19ef-41a5-94d4-8de78731c85f&GroupID=19TN819HU1-T)

Two groups totaling 80 people; spaces are limited, so register quickly! Yimin Festival Mini Tour hotline: 02-87939611