Hakka homeland

Author: Huang Fayou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The author, as a Hakka son, shares the memories of the Hakka people through their life experiences and nearly a decade of cultural accumulation from Hakka field investigations. The book, rich in illustrations and text, focuses on introducing the natural landscape, residential architecture, folk arts, and customs of the Hakka homeland. It further explores the historical origins and cultural causes behind these traditions in concise and refined language. The "Hakka homeland" referred to in this book refers to the Min-Fu-Gan border region, including southern Jiangxi, western Fujian, and eastern Guangdong, which served as the cradle for the formation and development of the Hakka ethnic group. The book places particular emphasis on the investigation of western Fujian and eastern Guangdong. This is mainly due to two considerations: Firstly, the Hakka people in various counties of southern Jiangxi exhibit relatively complex internal differences in terms of migration time, routes, dialects, and cultural identity. The distinction between the "old" (Hakka who settled directly in southern Jiangxi among Han migrants) and the "new" (Hakka who returned to southern Jiangxi from western Fujian and eastern Guangdong during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties) is particularly evident. In a certain sense, southern Jiangxi before the Ming Dynasty gave rise to certain Hakka elements, and the Hakka ethnic group gradually formed only after entering the mountainous areas of western Fujian. In other words, the homeland characteristics of western Fujian and eastern Guangdong are more prominent. Secondly, although I have conducted field investigations in southern Jiangxi twice in recent years, my understanding of the region remains relatively superficial compared to western Fujian and eastern Guangdong, and I will leave it for future improvement! This book is suitable for general travel enthusiasts, especially those who enjoy self-guided tours, as well as readers from all walks of life who have a special interest in and understanding of Hakka culture.