Hakka Museum of China

Located in Meizhou, Guangdong, the Hakka Museum of China is the only museum focusing on the collecting, studying, showing and inheritance of Hakka culture, and the only museum themed on an ethnic culture in China. It is composed of a main hall and several surrounding branch halls, such as Huanzuixian Memorial Hall, Meizhou Chancellors Hall and Meizhou Generals Hall.

As the main immigrant group of the Han people in South China, the Hakka contributed much in developing the region. In Chinese, Hakka refers to guest, which shows that they are not native-born. As a saying goes, there is sunlight, there are Chinese; there are Chinese, there are Hakka. They are also named 'Oriental Jewry' because of their excellent business talent.
 When you walk into the main hall of the Hakka Museum of China, the first thing that captures your eyes is a big Chinese character carved on a white granite wall. Actually, it's a special word with the meaning of 'me' in Hakka culture, and it's also the one being used most frequently by the Hakka.

Walking deeper into the main hall of the China Hakka Museum, you will enjoy the five exhibition rooms representing the five different time periods of the Hakka. The first one is 'Where the Hakka came from'. In there, the history of the Hakka appears before your eyes. It can be traced back to 319 AD. Then, they went through five great migrations. In addition, there are some interesting Hakka sayings shown inside, like 'the one who pretends to understand will never understand'.

The next exhibition room is about 'Hakka Customs', showing many Hakka tools, clothes and other household wares. Some folk scenes are recreated with the special furniture and building models.

The third is 'the Landmark - Hakka Round House'. Round House, also named Round-Dragon House, is a representative building of the Hakka. Normally, it's built with a half-moon pool right before the house, making the whole an eight-diagram-shaped appetizer. A big Round Dragon model is put in the third room of the Hakka Museum of China, showing the great wisdom of the Hakka.

Stepping into the following room - 'Humanity and Culture of the Hakka', you can see the status of an old man and several students inside. One of the students is reciting the articles, and the old man is listening carefully with his head raised gently.

The last room of the Hakka Museum of China is the most exciting part, describing the extraordinary Hakka people in history and the hopes of the Hakka in the future.
 This hall is built in honor of a famous Hakka, Huanzuixian. He was a great pioneer of Chinese reformation, an enlightenment thinker and patriotic poet. Inside the hall shows his deeds and collected books. The building also shows the Hakka's life style in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
 Meizhou Chancellors Hall is a traditional Hakka building built in 1940s. Inside it stores the deeds and achievements of 228 Meizhou chancellors at home and abroad. The most famous one is Ye Jianying, not only a chancellor but also a famous Chinese marshal.
 Meizhou Generals Hall is another Hakka-style building, showing all Hakka generals' achievements since 1911. A total of 13 exhibition rooms show the 545 generals, including those who contributed much during the Sino-Japanese War, the Long March and contemporary era.
 1. Take bus 1/6 and get off at Hakka Park.
2. Take bus 72 and get off at Jiangbei Fule Park, then walk west for about 180 meters (200 yards), you will arrive at Hakka Museum.
3. Take bus 12/13/16 and get off at Fule Park, walk west for about 200 yards and you will get there.
4. Take bus 3/4/15/20 and get off at Dongshan Park, then walk north for about 300 yards.
 

Admission Fee	Free, but you need to take the ticket with passport. Note: There is a limit of 5,000 visitors per day, so you are suggested to visit early.
Opening Hours	9:00-17:30 from Tuesday to Sunday

 

 Read more:
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Top 10 Hakka Foods You Have to Try

Earthen Buildings of Hakkas 

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