Music on the Dahan with an evening feast of water bamboo

The century-old inland Hakka tea port of Sankeng is located in Longtan District, Taoyuan. In former times, when boats were still able to sail on the Dahan River, a variety of prime Chinese teas would arrive in Sankeng from the surrounding mountains before being transported out along the waterways and on to the rest of the world.

Although the construction of Shihmen Reservoir stopped Dahan River functioning as a transportation waterway and the following building restrictions around the reservoir led to a gradual demise of Sankeng, it also inadvertently preserved the area’s simple and traditional Hakka culture. Today, however, like many rural areas in Taiwan, Sankeng is in need of a boost to its agricultural economy, because small farms in the region lack the knowledge to promote or find a channel for their produce. Assisting farmers to maintain their livelihood while retaining the original characteristics of local cultures will require a collective effort from us all.

以下為中文對照

位於桃園市龍潭區的三坑地區，是客家的百年茶港，在過去大漢溪可以行船的時代，桃、竹、苗等客家山區的茶，在此集中透過水路運往大溪，再銷往世界其他地方。

由於石門水庫阻絕大漢溪的水路功能，以及後來的限建措施，使得三坑地區逐漸失去了繁華，卻也意外地保留了原有農村的樸實及傳統客家文化，但也與許多台灣的農村一樣，須面對如何提振農村經濟的問題，畢竟一般的小農，只能單打獨鬥，不知道如何推銷、經營，因此，協助農民能夠維持生計，並保留原有在地特色與文化，需要大家一同努力來推動。

照片