Cultural Affairs Bureau, Hsinchu County Government

This book reviews the cultural governance and public services of the Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau over the thirty years since its establishment. The content uses axes such as cultural heritage, venues, local knowledge, reading, festivals, arts grants, performing arts, and action partners to connect important policies, restoration projects, publishing achievements, exhibition and performance activities, cultural equity, and honorary milestones. It presents how the Cultural Affairs Bureau, starting from local history, has constructed a cross-domain collaborative and future-oriented cultural network.

Starting from the Bogong (Earth God) faith and daily life in Hakka villages, this book records the cultural landscape of stone-plate Bogong shrines in the Hsinchu, Taoyuan, and Miaoli areas. Combining field investigations, oral histories, and research into stonework craftsmanship, the author explains the spatial forms, ceremonies, naming conventions, couplets, and 'reappointment rituals' of Bogong temples. It also explores the stone-cutting settlements along the Touqian River, the techniques for creating stone-plate Bogong, nursery rhymes, enigmatic folk similes (xiehouyu), and cultural preservation actions, presenting the living wisdom of how Hakka faith and the local environment coexist.

This book is the systematic result of Hitay Payan's decades of field research, consultations with tribal elders, literature review, and over six hundred hand-drawn illustrations. Centered on 'Gaga,' the book unfolds from the Atayal people's animistic beliefs, taboos, and ethical norms, delving into daily life, production education, naming conventions, marriage, migration, social organization, hunting, and oral traditions. It establishes a knowledge system of Atayal culture from an indigenous perspective, serving the purposes of cultural heritage, language learning, and academic reference.