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city · Guangdong · Meizhou

Meizhou 梅州

World capital of Hakka culture

Deep in northeast Guangdong's hills, Meizhou is considered the spiritual home of the Hakka people — a place of round and walled clan houses, ancestral halls and a huge global Hakka diaspora.

History & culture

Settled over centuries by Hakka migrants from the north, Meizhou became a centre of Hakka language, scholarship and emigration, sending generations overseas while preserving distinctive communal architecture.

What to see & do

  • Hakka 'weilong' walled and round houses
  • Yan Family enclosed mansion
  • Lingguang Temple on Yinna Mountain
  • Hakka Museum in Meizhou city
  • Songkou and Baidu old riverside towns

What to eat

  • Salt-baked chicken (a Hakka signature)
  • Stuffed tofu (niang doufu)
  • Preserved-vegetable braised pork

Getting there

Meixian Airport and high-speed rail (Meizhou West) connect the city; the clan houses are scattered in the countryside, so plan transport.

Avoid the pitfalls

  • The best roundhouses are rural — hire a car or join a tour to reach them.
  • English is limited this far inland; have addresses written in Chinese.
  • It's about culture and architecture, not big-ticket sights — travel slow.

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