On October 13, 2025, COMPAL Electronics, in collaboration with the Kaohsiung Public Library, held the donation and inauguration ceremony for the “Hakka Literary Station” at the Meinong Branch Library as part of the Reading with a New Vision “ESG Rural Reading Initiative”.
The Meinong region is rich in Hakka culture and spiritual heritage, featuring a distinctive language, beliefs, settlement architecture, musical arts, and agricultural traditions that have been passed down through generations.
“The COMPAL × Meinong “Hakka Literary Station” launched its inaugural special exhibition themed around literary works depicting Meinong by Zhong Lihe and Zhong Demin.
Zhong Lihe, widely regarded as the father of Taiwanese Hakka literature, portrayed Meinong life and the lived experiences of Hakka people with profound sensitivity. His writings reflect the Hakka values of diligence, resilience, frugality, integrity, and deep-rooted cultural spirit, and played a pivotal role in shaping Taiwan’s modern literary movements of nativist literature and writing from one’s homeland.
The ceremony was attended by Ms. Sophia Tang, Manager of COMPAL Electronics, representing the company; Mr. Lin Wei-jun, Director of the Hakka Cultural Center of the Kaohsiung City Government Hakka Affairs Commission; Mr. Lin Guan-yu, Deputy Director of the Kaohsiung Public Library; Ms. Kuo Chien-mi, Administrative Director; Mr. Zhong Zhong Tie-jun, Director of the Zhong Lihe Memorial
Museum; and Ms. Lai Mu-ning, Director of the Meinong Branch Library.
The event also featured a traditional music performance by the Meinong Hakka Bayin Ensemble, presenting a suite of local folk music.
Five senior folk artists performed in the traditional “4+1” ensemble format—one suona (double-reed horn), three string instruments (two yehu of different registers and one panghu), and one percussion instrument. Through traditional Hakka string music and mountain songs, the audience experienced the changing seasons and glimpsed the many facets of life expressed through instrumental culture.
Hakka literature tells a story:
“From Meizhou to Meinong, from Southeast Asia to San Francisco — a journey of language and soul, where writing becomes home and memory becomes one’s homeland.”
Through words, it gently reminds us:
“You may wander, but never forget where you come from.”
COMPAL places great importance on quality education, cultural heritage, and community engagement. Through literature and history, we recognize the vital importance of environmental sustainability and cultural diversity.
Now in its sixth year, the ESG Rural Reading Initiative, jointly promoted by COMPAL Electronics and the Kaohsiung Public Library, continues to bring reading resources closer to children in rural areas. By integrating AR technology, the program expands digital reading experiences while strengthening environmental education. Together with the Kaohsiung Mobile Library fleet, the initiative reaches communities across the region, encouraging students and residents alike to cultivate lifelong reading habits.
