Taiwan played host to the Second World Hakka Congress over the weekend as over 2,000 delegates from 50 countries arrived in Taipei to discuss ways of promoting Hakkanese culture.

At the opening ceremony on Friday, delegates to the Congress heard Vice-President C.K. Yen of Taiwan call for greater cooperation among the Hakkangese all over the world.

Hakka means "guost" or sojourners" in Chinese. And the name was given to this proud and individualistic race because of its refusal to adopt local customs after it migrated to China in the 3rd century B.C.

Hakka culture is rich and varied. Over 300 items of Hakka culture are currently on display in the National Russaum of ??? History in Taipei. Artifacts and historical documents, including the calligraphy of the philosopher of Chu Hsi are among the exhibits.

The population of the Hakka tribe at present numbers over 45 million. 7 million live outside of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan. Even to this day, their influence is widely felt. Not only ???o they have their own churches, banks and communities abroad, many national leaders are of hakka origin. Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yaw of Singapore, for instance, is of Hakka descent. So is President Kaymond Chung of Guyann. Perhaps the most illustrious Pekin descendent of all is Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, founding father of the Republic of China.