Who are the Hakkas?

The Hakkas are a unique ethnic group of "Han" Chinese originally active around the Yellow River area. They are thought to be one of the earliest "Han" settlers in China. One theory has it that many of the early Hakkas were affiliated with the "royal bloods". The truth may be more complicated than that. It is highly likely that while Hakka may be a stronghold of Han culture, Hakka people also have married other ethnic groups and adopted their cultures during the long migration history of 2000 years. Due to the infusion of other ethnic groups from the northwest, north and northeast, these original settlers gradually migrated south and settled in Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong. They were called Hakka by the locals when they first settled in. This term has been used since by non-Hakka and Hakka people, and in international publications.>>>more

  Hakka History

There have been some debates about the origin of Hakka people whether they belong to "Han" people or a minority from "Xiongnu". From most of the evidence gathered, it can be concluded that Hakkas are likely Han people rather than a derivative from the Xiongnu.

Hakka people originated in central China and gradually migrated south to flee from war and famine. There were five major migrations according to the Hakka historian Luo Xianglin:>>>more

  Hakka House Architecture

There are three types of Hakka dwellings:Phoenix Building ,Round Earth Building  and one-storied flat-roofed house. These three types of dwellings signify the three stages of Hakka migration. It can be supported by the statistical distribution of the different type of houses along the path of migration.

When the first Hakkas moved to Fujian, they were the imperial court officials. They could afford to build the very extravagant houses (Phoenix house) that were modeled against the imperial court. Unless the inhabitants were authorized by the emperor, it is unlikely that they could build the houses in this design with such exquisite decor, without risking their lives for violation of the imperial court.>>>more

  Hakka Women

Hakka Women are characterized by their strong personalities of sharing most heavy labor in the family. While during the migration, the men had to prepare all the time to defend any military intrusion, women had to take care of the home and family including minding the fields. They are easily recognized by their typical flat round hat woven with cane fiber, and rimmed with a skirt of black cloth. A round hole in the middle of the hat fits any head size. They are almost uniformly dressed in black with scanty embroidery along the seam. Legend has it that the rudimentary look of a team of Hakka women marching to the fields had kept the Yuan soldiers from seizing the refugee emperor of Southern Song. >>>more

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