Special Exhibition Hall 4: Pin & Liang (拼．靚) - Special Exhibition on the Multiple Faces of Taiwan Hakka (第四特展室：拼．靚--臺灣客家多重面貌特展)

Frugality, Hakka stir-fry, floral cloth, and Tung blossoms compose contemporary stereotypes of Taiwan Hakka, but is that all there is to the truth? Taiwan Hakka people have continuously interacted with various ethnic groups on this land, constantly adapting and changing in pursuit of a better life. Therefore, this exhibition is themed "Pin & Liang" (拼．靚), which carries a double meaning. One expresses the resilient and hardworking spirit and life aesthetics of the Hakka people, showing the power and beauty of Hakka cultural tradition and innovation; the other gathers important public and private collections to outline the multiple faces of Taiwan Hakka from six perspectives, named in Hakka as: "Migration (徙, saiˋ), Beauty (靚, jiangˊ), Reverence (敬, gin), Striving (拚, biang), Change (變, bien), and Seeking (尋, qimˇ)."

1. Migration: Ethnic flow never stops
After the Hakka ethnic group immigrated to Taiwan, they went through many twists and turns, either settling or migrating again. We start with the stories of Hakka cooperation with diverse ethnic groups to reclaim land after moving to this new territory, describing the process of Hakka reclamation, settlement, and subsequent flow to various parts of Taiwan.

2. Beauty: Beautiful living beyond floral cloth
Beyond floral cloth or Tung blossoms, Hakka aesthetics are actually very rich. We start with the gorgeous bridal gown of the Xiao family from Jiadong in southern Taiwan, showing the beautiful crafts and exquisite literary and martial arts as the Hakka families flourished. In these exquisite artifacts, we see people's expectations for a happy marriage, love for descendants, and efforts for self-actualization.

3. Reverence: Devotion brings unity and peace of mind
In a changing and uncertain life, people devoutly offer sacrifices to ancestors and gods to seek peace of mind; because of these rituals, they unite. We start by interpreting a "Call Order" (Diao Dan) from early 20th-century northern Taiwan to observe the Hakka customs of honoring heaven, gods, and ancestors; we unexpectedly discover in these customs that forming bands and crowdfunding are not new things at all!

4. Striving: The power of self-protection
Despite constant changes in Taiwan's political and social environment, the Hakka ethnic group has always possessed a power to consolidate ethnic consciousness for self-protection. We start with the long-bladed sword reportedly used by Lai Xiong-fei, the Grand President of Liudui during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, to present the spirit of Hakka people of different generations in protecting their homes and land through themes of self-defense organizations, civil rebellions, wars, and autocratic rule.

5. Change: Creativity through constant adaptation
The world is not static; culture is always innovating. We start with the ceramic career journey of Lin Rong-fei, a non-Hakka person from Fuzhou, from central Taiwan to the Hakka villages of Miaoli in the mid-20th century, using themes of crafts, industries, and entertainment to explain how Hakka people continue to respond to external challenges and environmental changes, creating waves of excellence.

6. Seeking: Who is Hakka?
This is a page of ethnic history from migration to settlement, maintaining tradition and seeking innovation. We start with the experience of the writer Lin Hai-yin traveling through diverse ethnic groups, using literature, art, photography, and communication works to see how people explore and gaze at their own identity and land.