The Miaoli Preserved Mustard Greens Cultural Festival kicks off: Make your own preserved mustard greens and grind Lei Cha tea

By Liu Jiawen / Compiled and Reported

 

The Miaoli Gongguan Hakka Preserved Mustard Greens Cultural Festival, one of the 12 major Hakka village festivals, runs from today until January 15 (Sunday) at Tonghua Park in Tongluo Township. On every Saturday and Sunday during the event period (excluding the election voting day on the 14th), the public can sign up on-site to experience DIY preserved mustard greens squeezing, with a daily limit of 800 participants. The festival also offers 2,000 free servings of preserved mustard greens soup for tasting, as well as Lei Cha tea experiences, local specialty product exhibitions, and performances by cultural and art groups. The highlight will take place on the afternoon of the 15th, featuring a performance of the Hakka tea-picking opera troupe Rongxing’s winter-ending play “The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea.”

To welcome the Year of the Dragon, this year’s Preserved Mustard Greens Cultural Festival has adopted the theme “Celebrating a Bumper Harvest with Blessings.” In addition, the Hakka Courtyard within Tonghua Park showcases the process of making preserved mustard greens, including three stages: planting, pickling, and sharing the blessings. It also displays various finished products such as leaf mustard, pickled vegetables, preserved mustard greens, and dried mustard greens, along with vintage photos by renowned photographer Xie Qizhi, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in rich Hakka culture.

Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township has around 30 hectares of leaf mustard cultivation area, with an annual yield of approximately 2.5 million catties, making it the largest producer of preserved mustard greens among all Hakka villages in Taiwan, often referred to as the “Hometown of Preserved Mustard Greens.” Last year’s first National Hakka Preserved Mustard Greens Cultural Festival set a Guinness World Record for “A Thousand People Stepping on Pickled Vegetables.” Not only were the preserved mustard greens a big hit, but the event also successfully highlighted the diverse value of the product. This year’s event carries on that spirit, welcoming visitors from all over to Miaoli to experience Hakka life and culture.