| dc.description.abstract | This article is based on a discussion of Hakka migration and the development of the camphor industry in Chia-Hsien and Liou-Guei Towns. The concepts of colonial governmentality and local elites are used to analyze the colonial policies of Japanese colonial authorities. Colonial policies for developing the mountain areas of Southern Taiwan included migration control, improvements in sanitation, managing the “Raw” aborigines, and developing the camphor industry. Moreover, this article will discuss Hakka migration from Hsinchu Prefecture (current Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli counties) to Chia-Hsien and Liou-Guei Towns after 1895. Furthermore, the links between the migrants and camphor industry will be discussed in detail. The difference between the Hakka people of Chia-Hsien and Liou-Guei and of Kaohsiung was that the former were “instructed” to move from Hsinchu Prefecture to the towns by the Japanese colonial authorities, in order to meet economic needs and demands. In the past, the Japanese paid much attention to the development of camphor, while, at the same time, the Hakka people had professional knowledge and skills in camphor extraction, and Chia-Hsien and Liou-Guei Towns provided abundant and natural camphor resources. Therefore, these three related conditions established the foundation for the local camphor industry.
Because Chia-Hsien and Liou-Guei Towns are located in mountain areas, in order to have effective development in camphor industry, the Japanese colonial authorities had to overcome and improve two big problems, attacks by the “Raw” aborigines and poor hygienic conditions. In order to obtain the needed resource of camphor, to manage the relationship with aborigines was crucial for the Japanese. Moreover, during the early days when Japanese came to Taiwan, many young people died of infectious diseases. As a result, in order to maintain sufficient labor force, one primary task was to improve the hygienic conditions, thus strengthening people’s (Japanese and Taiwanese) immune systems. During this period, the Taiwan Governor-General Office implemented the idea of colonial governmentality to migration control, improvements in sanitation, and management of “Raw” aborigines, thereby successfully developing the local camphor industry. Finally, for obtaining resources effectively, the colonial authorities made plans to introduce a new labor force (Hakka migrants) in large numbers, and they had to ensure that there was no loss in manpower due to the bad hygienic conditions. Due to the effective use of state power to manage conditions and improve the hygienic environment, the Japanese colonial authorities achieved success in the camphor industry.
Regarding numbers migrants from Hsinchu Prefecture during the process of camphor industry development, there is one big issue to be discussed, “How many migrants moved to Chia-Hsien and Liou-Guei to participate in the work of the camphor industry due to the actions of the Japanese colonial authorities? How many migrants moved to this area without authorization and voluntarily?” The reasons for these immigration phenomena could be analyzed in much more details if the above two questions could be answered.
After the successful development in camphor industry, the migrants and their descendants became leading figures in the society. Especially after World War II, these newcomers became local township heads, and the Hakka people took over the political power in the town. In addition, the Hakka immigrants also made a great impact upon local cultures. One instance is the introduction of Flag of Heroes, which brought in the belief in the Heroes cult. After the war, temple of “Chia-Hsien’s Heroes Pavilion for Rewarding Loyalty” was built, and it also became a popular local sacred site. Besides that, the essential food supply for camphor workers during the period, “taro”, was planted pervasively after WWII. This particular vegetable also turned out to be a key symbol for the current tourism and culture industries in Chia-Hsien Town, with a large “Chia-Hsien Taro Festival” being held annually nowadays. | en_US |