Meizhou, Guangdong, the World Hakka Capital · The City of Four Rhythms
Meizhou, the most representative global center of Hakka culture, is known as the "World Hakka Capital." Surrounded by mountains and rivers with a long cultural heritage, it is dotted with Wei Long houses, the Han River flows for thousands of years, and the fragrance of plum blossoms and tea aromas refresh the soul. Unpretentious and modest, it invites you to step into a vivid history of Hakka life with profound heritage and warm local charm—
1. Yannanfei Tea Plantation Resort (National 5A Scenic Area)
A benchmark for Lingnan ecological cultural tourism. Thousands of acres of terraced tea gardens follow the mountain contours, with fresh green waves in spring and golden brocade in autumn. Stroll along the scenic boardwalk and check in at the "Tea Field Tai Chi Diagram"; climb Lingzhi Peak for a distant view where the sea of clouds surges, and the tea art pavilion shaped like a Hakka Wei Long house rests quietly on the mountainside. Experience tea picking, green tea frying, and handmade tea cakes, sip a cup of freshly roasted Jiaying Dancong tea, with a refreshing aroma and a calm heart like a stream. Stay overnight in a tea field wooden house, falling asleep to the pine breeze.
2. Dabu County Hakka Tulou Cluster (Hua'e Building + Taian Building)
The wisdom of Northeast Guangdong Hakka people. Hua'e Building, built during the Ming Wanli period, is the largest and most complete circular tulou in China, 77 meters in diameter, with three concentric rings and a shared well, 120 rooms integrated as one, witnessing the survival philosophy of "living together and mutual watchfulness"; adjacent Taian Building is a model square Wei Long house, with gray walls, black tiles, carved beams, and painted rafters, featuring a unique blend of Chinese and Western style gates. You can make glutinous rice cakes by hand and learn to brew tofu, experiencing living heritage.
3. Pingyuan Wuzhishi Scenic Area (Danxia Wonder + Southern Song Ancient Fortress)
One of Guangdong’s seven Danxia landforms, with five red cliff peaks shaped like a giant hand holding up the sky. "One Line Sky" allows only one person to pass sideways, "Qingyun Road" hangs on a hundred-meter cliff, and "Smart Spring" is clear and sweet. The well-preserved Southern Song ancient fortress ruins on the mountaintop have winding stone walls and dense arrow slits. From the summit viewing platform, the mountains and rivers of Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces are all in sight. Enjoy azaleas in spring and red leaves in autumn, beautiful all year round.
4. Meijiang District China Hakka Museum (including Huang Zunxian Memorial Hall · Renjinglu)
The nation’s first national first-class museum comprehensively displaying Hakka history and culture. The main hall systematically tells the origins, migration epics, and folk customs of the Hakka through artifacts, images, and immersive scenes; the adjacent Huang Zunxian Memorial Hall (Renjinglu) is the former residence of the late Qing "Poetry Revolution" leader, with pavilions and terraces scattered in the garden and a forest of poetry steles. The phrase "Every inch of rivers and mountains is worth its weight in gold" resonates deeply, making it the spiritual homeland to understand the Hakka people's patriotism and family values.
✨ Recommended side visits: Jiaoling Shiku Temple (Southern Han cliff carvings), Fengshun Longjing River Rafting (the top rafting in eastern Guangdong), Xingning Lianghai Guild Hall (Qing Dynasty Chaoshan merchant heritage), connecting a more three-dimensional map of the Hakka capital.
📌 Practical tips:
- Must-try foods: Salt-baked chicken (crispy skin, tender meat), stuffed tofu (rich bean aroma), braised pork with preserved vegetables (savory with a sweet aftertaste), bamboo shoot rice cake (bamboo fragrance, soft and glutinous), chrysanthemum cake (cool and mildly sweet);
- Transportation advice: Take high-speed rail to Meizhou West Station, then rent a car or charter a vehicle for touring (scenic spots are scattered, limited bus service);
Best seasons: March–May (mountain flowers blooming, lychees ripening), September–November (clear autumn skies, pleasant climate).
The beauty of Meizhou lies in how it carves the resilience of millennia of migration into rammed earth walls, writes the belief of farming and scholarship into poetry steles, and brews the pure joy of the mountains and fields into a warm cup of Dancong tea—coming here is not just a trip, but a return to the heart.