The Hakkas who Love their Motherland and Hometowns

The Hakkas refer to a group of Han people who migrated from the Huanghe River Valley to the southern regions of China. This ethnic group is a stable branch of the Han nationality, with distinct characteristics that set them apart.

In the Guangdong dialect, the term "Hakka" (客家) is used to describe them, which means "guest" or "customer." The name was originally used to distinguish the Hakkas from the indigenous populations in the regions they settled.

The Five Great Migrations of the Hakkas

The Hakkas formed through five major migrations over several centuries. Each migration was driven by the desire to escape war, foreign invasions, and internal strife:

1. The First Migration: From the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, large numbers of people from the Central Plains (now northern China) crossed the Yellow River and Yangtze River. They migrated to provinces like Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi to escape the chaos of war and foreign invasions.

2. The Second Migration: After the Huangchao Peasants' Uprising in the late Tang Dynasty, the Hakkas moved further south to the southeastern regions of Jiangxi and Fujian, with some even reaching Guangdong.

3. The Third Migration: Toward the end of the Song Dynasty, when Mongolian forces swept through the south, many Hakkas in Jiangxi and Fujian moved further south into Guangdong, where they sought refuge.

4. The Fourth Migration: In the early Qing Dynasty, as the Hakkas’ population grew and their economy revived, they were forced to move again due to a lack of farmland. The government policy pushed the Hakkas to migrate to Guangdong, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, and even Taiwan.

5. The Fifth Migration: In the mid to late 19th century, population growth in western Guangdong led to conflicts with the local indigenous population. As a result, the government pushed the Hakkas to the mountainous regions of western Guangdong, the Leizhou Peninsula, Hainan Island, and Guangxi Province. This migration also saw many Hakkas cross the seas to seek work abroad.

The Hakkas’ Broad Distribution

As a result of these five migrations, the Hakkas are now spread across China and beyond, though they continue to maintain tight-knit communities. There are currently over 280 Hakka counties across 19 provinces and autonomous regions, with the highest concentration in Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian. The total Hakka population is around 58.1 million, with approximately:

• 49.2 million in mainland China

• 6.8 million in Taiwan

• 2 million in Hong Kong

• 100,000 in Macau
  Additionally, there are about five million Hakkas living in Southeast Asia.

The Cultural Heritage of the Hakkas

The Hakkas trace their roots to the Han people who moved from the Yellow River Valley, and their culture has been deeply influenced by the Central Plains culture. However, over time, the Hakkas absorbed many elements from the local Yue and Yao cultures as they settled among the indigenous populations of southern China. This blending has resulted in a unique Hakka culture, distinct from both the Central Plains culture and the indigenous southern cultures.

The Hakka language is one of the eight major Chinese dialects and developed from the ancient Heluoya language of the Han nationality. It later incorporated elements from the Wu and Chu dialects, as well as the ancient Yue, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian dialects.

Traditional Hakka Architecture

The Hakka people are known for their distinctive residential buildings, which vary depending on the region:

• The square multi-story buildings in southern Jiangxi

• The round multi-story buildings in western Fujian

• The Meizhou encircled houses

These architectural forms are unique in both Chinese and world history.

The Hakka Love for Folk Songs

The Hakkas have a deep love for singing folk songs, reflecting their joyful and resilient spirit. As the saying goes, “A hundred-kilogram burden on the shoulder becomes lighter when people sing a song while climbing the hills,” and "Everyone has something to worry about, but they are happy when they sing folk songs." The areas inhabited by the Hakkas are famously known as the “Hometown of Folk Songs.”

A typical Hakka folk song goes:
"The songs fill the river, where the fishermen are fishing;
The songs spread all over the slopes, where the herdsmen are herding their cows;
The songs flow in the mountains, as the woodman walks on the mountain roads."

The Spirit of the Hakkas

The continuous migrations of the Hakka ancestors, driven by the need to escape war and turmoil, and their determination to pioneer new lands, have instilled a spirit of enterprise, patriotism, and hard work in the Hakka people. This spirit, along with a deep respect for education, has shaped generations of Hakka children.

Throughout history, many outstanding individuals of Hakka descent have emerged, contributing to various fields such as politics, military, and the arts. Notable figures include:

• Zhang Jiuling, the famous prime minister during the Tang Dynasty

• Zhu Xi, the renowned Neo-Confucianist of the Song Dynasty

• Wen Tianxiang, the national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty

• Yuan Chonghuan, the patriotic military officer of the Ming Dynasty

• Hong Xiuquan, leader of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

• Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Republic of China

• Liao Zhongkai, the revolutionary martyr

• Zhu De, the revolutionary military leader

• Ye Jianying, the marshal and vice-chairman of the National People's Congress

• Guo Moruo, the historian and poet

• Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore