| dc.description.abstract | Footsteps of Han Chinese cultivation spread from Chuchien area, along the river valley plains and proceeded toward the inland mountains. In the cultivation history of the Chuchien area, Shih Tian-fu divided it into three cultural developmental geographic regions: Han cultivation area, Pingpu Tribe reservation, and self-defense guard cultivation area. Shujilin (the former name for Chu-tung Township) is located within the self-defense guard, and Ruanqiao Li is located within the Shujilin self-defense guard area closer to the inland mountains.
During the Qing ruling period, the ample resources in this area created a powerful “pull,” and the Hakka cultivators faced pressures of existence and competition, which created a powerful “push.” One of the focuses of this study is, when facing environmental impact, how Ruanqiao Hakka people came to place their roots here and spread out, gradually forming Hakka tribes. Ruanqiao, located nearest to the inland mountain river valley plains has a significant borderland status, and is an important place for Han and aborigine commerce. However, why did Ruanqiao’s importance decrease, and what was different about its historical development in comparison to other tribes in Hsinchu? How did the development of Ruanqiao Hakka tribes influence the Chu-tung and Hsinchu areas? These are all questions to be answered in this paper. This study attempts to explore the aspects of economic activity, ethnic interaction, transportation infrastructure, and political forces to understand the historical changes in the development of Ruanqiao.
| en_US |