There was no baby boom in the year of the Dragon (2024) and Taiwan’s population is set to fall to roughly 15 million by 2070
AmCham Kaohsiung/Kaohsiung City Govt
Nov. 11th, 2024
Taiwan’s declining birth rate is a major concern for many, and the increasing number of eligible young adults choosing not to marry or have children is has even been described as a national security threat!
In a bid to bring Hakka couples together, over the weekend, the Meinong District Household Registration Office in Kaohsiung, with the support of Kaohsiung’s Hakka Affairs Council, and the Meinong Farmers’ Association, organized a singles matchmaking event titled, “Autumn Love, Hakka Village.”
The theme was “Find Love Through Tea,” and event brought together 20 unmarried men and women who drank tea, learned about tea culture, and tea brewing. Participants also painted pottery bowls, and engaging in Hakka-themed puzzle-solving games … which the KH Govt described as a “unique singles matchmaking experience.”
Each participant was given three “admiration cards” on which to write down their contact information – and those cards were then given to chosen partners. After the event, participants who received cards can proactively reach out to those who expressed interest, which, it is hoped, might foster opportunities for connection and friendship – some of which might ultimately leading to love and marriage.
Despite being the year of the Dragon, considered by many to be a lucky year to have child, there has been no baby boom in 2024 — In fact, there were roughly 98K newborns registered from January to September 2024, compared to about 99.5K during the same period in 2023.
Taiwan’s population has been declining every year since 2020., and an official report estimates that Taiwan’s population will drop from 23.4 million in 2024 to roughly 15 million in 2070. – it’s unclear whether Hakka tea ceremony matchmaking events will have any effect in reversing this trend.