Hakka Heartland

The Hakka settlement area where western Fujian, eastern Guangdong and southern Jiangxi meet, with tulou, weiwu enclosures, Hakka folk songs and Hakka cuisine.

The Hakka heartland lies in the mountains where western Fujian (Longyan), northeastern Guangdong (Meizhou and Heyuan) and southern Jiangxi (Ganzhou) meet. Western Fujian has the Yongding and Nanjing tulou (World Cultural Heritage, including Chengqilou and Zhenchenglou), Peitian Ancient Village in Liancheng and Guanzhi Mountain, and Changting Ancient City is known as the “Hakka capital”. Meizhou in eastern Guangdong is the “Hakka capital of the world”, with its weilong houses, Ye Jianying Memorial Garden, Yannanfei Tea Fields and the landscapes of Pingyuan and Jiaoling. Ganzhou in southern Jiangxi has Song-dynasty city walls, Tongtian Rock and Hakka enclosures such as Guanxi Wei and Yanyi Wei in Longnan, as well as red heritage sites in Ruijin and Yudu. Common 6–8-day itinerary: Xiamen – Yongding/Nanjing tulou – Meizhou – Longnan – Ganzhou. The Meizhou–Longyan and Ganzhou–Shenzhen high-speed railways have greatly improved regional transport, but tulou and enclosures are scattered, so a chartered car is advisable. Hakka cuisine (salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu, lei cha pounded tea) is an essential experience. The Hakka place great importance on clan and on a tradition of farming and study, and the ancestral halls, academies and couplets found in the enclosures and tulou reflect a unique family culture; during Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival, folk activities such as dragon dances, lantern parades and Hakka folk songs are especially lively and worth traveling for.

Destinations

Itineraries