China Hakka Museum in Meizhou
China Hakka Museum (中国客家博物馆) refers to various museums that collect, research, and display Hakka history and culture across different regions. Notable examples include the China Hakka Museum in Meizhou (梅州), the Hakka Folk Museum in Heyuan (河源), the Hakka Cultural Museum in Longyan (龙岩), the Hakka Cultural Park in Taipei County, Taiwan (台北县), the Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Center (高雄市立客家文化馆), the Sichuan Hakka Museum in Chengdu (成都), the Gannan Hakka Cultural Relics Museum in Ganzhou (赣州), the Hakka Ecological Museum in Hezhou, Guangxi (广西贺州), and the Hakka Folk Museum in Shenzhen (深圳).
Overview
The China Hakka Museum was founded on March 28, 2005, and officially established as the Meizhou Hakka Museum in October 2007. It opened to the public on April 8, 2008. In June 2008, it was approved to become the Guangdong Hakka Museum, and in February 2009, it was designated as the China Hakka Museum by the State Council. The museum covers an area of 170.3 acres, with a total building area of 37,000 square meters and a total investment of 150 million yuan.
The museum comprehensively showcases the origins and development of Hakka culture among the Han nationality. It functions as a holistic ecological museum, with the main Hakka Museum serving as the central hub. Surrounding it are several satellite museums housed in ancient buildings, including the University President Museum, General Museum, Hakka Plaque Museum, Huang Zunxian Memorial Hall, Overseas Chinese Museum, and the Meizhou Celebrity and Honest Officials Museum. These satellite museums commemorate specific outstanding individuals or cultural themes, complementing the main exhibition on Hakka culture.
Sichuan Hakka Museum
The Sichuan Hakka Museum (四川客家博物馆), also known as the Western Hakka Museum, is located in the Huguang Guild Hall in Laodai Town, Longquanyi District, Chengdu. Officially established in March 2003, it first hosted the “Chengdu Dongshan Hakka Culture Special Exhibition.” During the World Hakka Convention in October 2005, it showcased the “Chinese Western Hakka Folk Cultural Relics Exhibition,” with a collection of 591 artifacts.
The museum presents the arduous journey of Hakka ancestors who migrated to Sichuan in the early Qing dynasty through physical artifacts, images, sculptures, audio-visual materials, and texts. It is the only museum in China that fully reflects the customs and lifestyle of Hakka people in Sichuan. Visitors can witness an elderly woman weaving on a century-old loom, showcasing the hard work and ingenuity of the Hakka people through meticulously crafted handicrafts.
Exhibits in the museum cover Hakka formation, migration, religious beliefs, marriage customs, production and lifestyle, traditions, folk crafts, notable figures, community organizations, and overseas institutions, providing a comprehensive interpretation of Hakka culture.
Jiangxi Hakka Museum
The Jiangxi Hakka Museum (江西客家博物院), located in Ganzhou, the cradle of Hakka culture, features a rich cultural heritage and Hakka resources. It is the first specialized museum in Jiangxi Province to comprehensively showcase Hakka culture and customs. The museum comprises a main display hall focusing on Hakka folk culture, supported by auxiliary displays related to the life of Hakka people, notable generals from Jiangnan, cultural exhibitions, and intangible cultural heritage showcases. It houses over 12,081 cultural relics.
In December 2008, it was recognized as a 4A tourist attraction and in May 2013 was awarded national second-level museum status by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. It was also designated as a patriotic education base in Jiangxi Province in June 2013.
Kaohsiung Museum
The Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum (高雄市立客家文物馆) is located in Erhao Park, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the first museum in Taiwan dedicated to the Hakka ethnic group. The museum features a traditional three-section courtyard building with red tiles, covering an area of 800 pings (approximately 2,646 square meters) for displaying Hakka artifacts and hosting cultural activities.
Facilities include thematic exhibition halls, a library, exhibition rooms, audiovisual teaching rooms, a photography display room, and meeting rooms. The museum aims to integrate the surrounding landscape and community resources, transforming Erhao Park into a Hakka cultural park.
Shenzhen Museum
The Hakka Folk Museum (客家民俗博物馆) in Shenzhen is located in Luohu District, adjacent to Huishen Expressway and 56 kilometers from downtown Shenzhen. It is the largest Hakka residence in China, known as the “Crane Lake New Residence” (鹤湖新居), built for the Luo family during the Qing Dynasty’s Jiaqing period (1817). The museum covers an area of 24,816 square meters, with a building area of 14,530 square meters.
The museum includes 179 residential units and features exhibits on Hakka furniture, tools, daily necessities, and genealogy, showcasing various aspects of Hakka life, including labor, food, and marriage customs. It serves as a significant historical and cultural landmark for studying Shenzhen’s history, culture, customs, and architecture.
The Hakka Folk Museum has been recognized as a key cultural heritage site at the provincial level and is a prominent feature of Shenzhen’s cultural identity. It opened to the public in February 1998 and has received multiple accolades for its cultural contributions.
Heyuan Museum
The Hakka Folk Museum in Heyuan (河源客家民俗博物馆) is located in Xiantang Town, Dongyuan County, approximately 12 kilometers from the city center. Housed in an ancient “府第式” residence known as the Lockhead Unicorn Tower, the museum features over 100 artifacts used by Hakka people throughout different eras, each accompanied by textual and photographic information.
The museum has historical significance for studying Hakka folklore, family structure, clan system, and family spirit. It also served as a filming location for the television series “The Story of Hong Kong” prior to the 1997 handover.
Hezhou Museum
The Hakka Ecological Museum in Hezhou, Guangxi (广西贺州客家生态博物馆), was established on April 13, 2007. It is based on the Hakka walled village in LianTang Town, Baihua Village, which has a history of over 200 years, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.
As China’s first Hakka cultural ecological museum, it consists of a work station, information center, exhibition center, and conservation area. The museum hosts exhibitions that cover the distribution and formation of Hakka people, their customs, and cultural practices.
Ganzhou Museum
The Ganzhou Hakka Cultural Relics Museum (赣州客家文物博物馆) is known as the largest Hakka cultural museum in China, covering nearly 500 square meters. It opened in November 2008 and houses over 6,000 pieces of artifacts, including architectural decorations, plaques, silver ornaments, clothing, and daily utensils, which possess significant artistic and historical value.
With over 8 million Hakka people worldwide, Ganzhou is a major gathering place for the Hakka community, with Hakka individuals making up over 95% of the population.
Longyan Museum
The Hakka Cultural Museum in Longyan (龙岩客家文化博物馆) broke ground on July 10, 2008, in Yongding County, Fujian Province. The planned museum will cover over 1,000 acres, with a total investment of 360 million yuan, scheduled to be completed in three to five years.
Once completed, it will become a spiritual sanctuary for exploring Hakka history and culture, featuring a main hall, memorials for notable Hakka figures, a corridor of Hakka monuments, and cultural squares.
Notable figures present at the groundbreaking ceremony included Honorary President Rao Yingqi, Hu Wenhu Foundation Chairman Hu Xian, and Indonesian Hakka Association President Wu Nengbin. Rao stated, “The Hakka Cultural Museum will unite Hakka people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and become a pilgrimage site and spiritual home for Hakka people worldwide.”
