Indigenous Taiwanese Profile - Hsia Chao-Le-Ke

Hsia Chao-Le-Ke
 

Hsia, Chao-Le-Ke
Reviver of Black Millet and Lanyu Indigenous Pig
Yeyin Village, Orchid Island 

Hsia Chao-Le-Ke is a dedicated cultural practitioner from Ivalino (Yeyin) Village on Lanyu Island. After returning to his homeland following military service, he has committed himself to reviving traditional crops and indigenous food systems, seeking to restore the Tao people's ancestral relationship with the land.

He is a pioneer in the revival of Lanyu's endemic black millet—a sacred and nearly forgotten grain once reserved for ritual blessings. Beginning with a few decorative stalks discovered in a relative's home, Hsia spent over a decade relearning cultivation techniques and reintroducing the crop into daily life. Through community-based innovation, black millet has transformed into local delicacies and culturally meaningful gifts that tell stories of island identity.

In parallel, Hsia plays a key role in the preservation and sustainable development of the rare purebred Lanyu pig, an indigenous miniature breed with ancient genetic heritage. Collaborating with the Council of Agriculture’s Eastern Livestock Research Center, the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of Taitung, and local youth, he helped launch the "Lanyu Good Pork" brand—turning traditional food sources into products that reflect cultural pride and support local economies.

Guided by the principle of "keeping resources rooted in Lanyu," Hsia connects generations and sectors through farming, storytelling, and place-based marketing. His work is not only about production, but about reweaving relationships between land, knowledge, language, and history—opening new possibilities for contemporary cultural expression on the island.




 

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