Meizhou Overview

Meizhou (梅州市) is situated in the northeastern part of Guangdong Province (广东省). Designated as a prefecture-level city in 1988, it encompasses various districts and counties. As of 2023, Meizhou administers the following areas:

  • Meijiang District (梅江区)
  • Meixian District (梅县区)
  • Pingyuan County (平远县)
  • Dapu County (大埔县)
  • Jiaoling County (蕉岭县)
  • Fengshun County (丰顺县)
  • Wuhua County (五华县)
  • Xinhui City (兴宁市), which it oversees.

The total land area of Meizhou is approximately 15,864.51 square kilometers. At the end of 2023, the registered population stood at 5.3508 million, with a resident population of 3.8491 million. Among these, 2.0935 million are urban residents. Notably, over 7 million overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan trace their roots to Meizhou, with communities in more than 80 countries and regions. In a significant cultural recognition, UNESCO established the first immigration memorial square in China in Songkou Town (松口镇), Meixian District.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

In 2023, Meizhou's agricultural landscape revealed that:

  • The sown area for grain reached 184,400 hectares, yielding a total grain output of 1.1384 million tons.
  • The forested area extended to 1.1877 million hectares, resulting in a commendable forest coverage rate of 74.54%.

Meizhou is rich in natural resources, which include:

  • Rare Earths (稀土)
  • Coal (煤)
  • Antimony (锑)
  • Iron (铁)
  • Gypsum (石膏)

Additionally, regionally distinctive minerals such as perlite (珍珠岩), steatite (叶腊石), vanadium-titanium magnetite (钒钛磁铁), and decorative diabase (饰面用辉绿岩) contribute to its geological diversity. Local specialties that highlight Meizhou's agricultural products include:

  • Meizhou Pomelo (梅州柚)
  • Pingyuan Orange (平远橙)
  • Jiaying Tea (嘉应茶)
  • Kedou Rice (客都米)
  • Xinhui Pigeon (兴宁鸽)

Cultural Significance

Meizhou is often referred to as the "World Hakka Capital" (世界客都) and is notable as the birthplace of Marshal Ye Jianying (叶剑英). The city serves as a famous revolutionary base, a hub for cross-Strait exchanges, and is recognized as the only prefecture-level city in Guangdong that falls entirely within the original Central Soviet Area.

Meizhou enjoys numerous prestigious titles, including:

  • World Longevity City (世界长寿之都)
  • East Asia Cultural Capital (东亚文化之都)
  • National Historical and Cultural City (国家历史文化名城)
  • National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone (国家生态文明先行示范区)
  • National Hakka Cultural Ecological Protection Experimental Zone (国家级客家文化生态保护实验区)

Additional accolades include recognition as a Beautiful Mountain and Water City (中国美丽山水城市), Excellent Tourism City (中国优秀旅游城市), National Garden City (国家园林城市), National Sanitary City (国家卫生城市), National Forest City (国家森林城市), Key City for Football Development (全国足球发展重点城市), Model City for Military-Civilian Integration (全国双拥模范城市), and Demonstration City for Social Governance Innovation (全国社会治理创新示范市). The city is esteemed as a cultural homeland, an overseas Chinese hometown, a football town, a generals’ hometown, a longevity town, a pomelo hometown, a hot spring town, a Hakka cuisine town, and a peaceful town.

Tourism and Heritage

As of the end of 2023, Meizhou boasts a remarkable array of tourist attractions, with 51 sites rated AAA or above (ranking second in Guangdong). This includes:

  • 1 AAAAA-level site
  • 14 AAAA-level sites
  • 36 AAA-level sites

The region is rich in cultural heritage, with:

  • 552 cultural relic protection units across various levels, which includes:
    • 11 national key cultural relic protection units (ranking second in the province)
    • 103 provincial-level cultural relic protection units (ranking first in the province)

Furthermore, Meizhou is home to 427 intangible cultural heritage projects, with 7 at the national level and 37 at the provincial level. The region also features 509 recorded red revolutionary sites in Guangdong Province (广东省红色革命遗址名录), emphasizing its historical significance and cultural depth.