Truly Experiencing the Brilliant Hakka Culture

By Mo Tingting

Bobai County， formerly known as Baizhou， is located in Yulin City， Guangxi. In remote ages， this area， inhabited by several ethnic minorities， was under the administration of central government during the Qin Dynasty （221 BC-207 BC）. With a pleasant climate， time-honored history， beautiful natural sceneries and historical sites， Bobai County well deserves its position as one of the most famous tourist cities in Guangxi. As a place with remarkable people coming forth in large numbers， Bobai is the hometown of the mysterious beauty Liang Lyuzhu， the national hero Liu Yongfu， and the famous linguistician Wang Li. Moreover， Bobai serves as one of the counties with a large number of Hakka people in the world.

There is a saying among Hakka people： “Wherever there is sunshine， there are Chinese； and wherever there are Chinese， there are Hakka people.”

Originally， the people who became the Hakka lived in north China， but they migrated to south China， especially Guangdong， Fujian， Jiangxi and Guangxi provinces during the Southern Song Dynasty （1127-1279）. The name “Hakka” may have been derived from the Mandarin word “Kejia” （“guest people” in Chinese）， which can distinguish Hakka from the natives. Now， Hakkas are usually identified with people who either speak the Hakka language or share at least some Hakka ancestry. Their language has affinities with both Cantonese and Mandarin. Many of the Hakka tongues initial sounds are a bridge between the two dialects. Due to its primary usage in scattered isolated regions where communication is limited to local area， Hakka has developed numerous varieties and spoken in different provinces. Bobai County， where Hakka is the native language of a significant minority of its residents， is a center for the study and preservation of this language.

Bobai County has nurtured generations of Hakka people and fostered a strong idea of patriarchal clan. Hakka people have a significant influence on the course of modern China. Today the Hakka have immigrated to many regions worldwide such as Taiwan （Taiwan）， Malaysia， Singapore， Thailand and even Jamaica. As the outcome of traditional Chinese society， aggressive and hard-working spirits help accomplish their own valuable adventures in the outside world. And almost all of Hakka people away from their homeland would come back with honors and make contributions to their hometown. Maybe， for Hakka people， there is no real native place， and the birthplace should be deemed as their homeland. As a result of native complex， Hakka people regard the ancestral halls as holy places to remember and respect their ancestors.

Over their long history， Hakkas have formed their own unique culture. When the Hakka people expanded into areas with pre-existing populations in the south， there was often little agricultural land left for them to farm. As a result， they adhered to Confucianism and gave importance to education. You can see that Bobai is a county with a variety of couplets which are profound yet concise. Some couplets are often displayed for special occasions such as wedding or Spring Festival. A wide range of topics can be included in the couplet. Some can be written to express ones concern for the origin of family， and some can be a thought-provoking summary of diligent studying since the countys educational tradition has exercised a great influence on its residents.

Every time visitors come to this village， Hakka people would express their warm welcome and offer you with yummy local cuisine. Hakka cuisine is known for the use of preserved meats and tofu， as well as stewed and braised dishes. A popular Hakka dish known as Yong Tau Foo primarily consists of tofu that has been filled with either a ground meat mixture or fish paste.

Hakka culture has been largely shaped by the new environment， which helps influence their architecture. Hakka people built several types of enclosed houses in the south China. Nestled in the Qishan Mountain of Xinzhong Village， the former residence of Wang Li is just like an epitome of Hakka building. In addition， the Shuilou in Daping Slope， Daliang Village is a type of English-style building of the Hakka.

The architectural feature of Hakka people， as well as their dwelling habit — “people of the same clan live together”， originate from their history. During their long years of exile， they have realized that only by working in unity with concerted efforts could they get through tough times together. Consequently， they formed the habit of living together with their own people wherever they are. Thus， the unique architectural form — Hakka enclosed house came into being.

Hakka enclosed house refers to the large rammed-earth building cluster in south China， which is constructed with particular workmanship and can be served as a solid defensive building. It is just because of the special material composition — mud， granulated sugar and grass ashes inside the wall that Hakka enclosed house can be well preserved through several centuries. This kind of building that can house up to 800 people ever acts as a small harmonious society. Once the gate is closed， the building turns into an impregnable fortress. Today， although the building is no longer a fortress， those complete and sophisticated defensive devices still amaze us. These saucer-shaped buildings scattered in the green mountains and clear waters are the wisdom of human beings.

Hakka enclosed houses have taken in the idea of Fengshui （Geomancy） in traditional Chinese architectural planning. Chinese ancestors thought the sky was round and the earth square. Thus， round and square buildings are the representatives

of the sky and the earth. Round also implies unification and perfection， which is a foremost ideal of Chinese people. Moreover， it has established a system of its own by skillfully utilizing the narrow flat ground among mountains as well as raw soil， wood and cobble available for local use. With thick walls， the enclosed house is warm in winter and cool in summer. Furthermore， they reflect the newest idea of green architecture pursued by people today and carry on profound traditional culture.

With wide varieties， fancy structures， complete functions and rich connotations， they are praised as a treasure of traditional Chinese residential structure and crowned as the “wonder of world architecture” for its historical， artistic and scientific values. The Hakka enclosed house distinguishes itself as an independent branch in Chinese culture without losing its brilliance. Integrated by various elements from different cultures， it remains different and is proved to be a perfect combination of human beings and buildings. What you need to do is to approach Bobai County and truly experience the most brilliant culture of Hakka.