Hakka

80 millions worldwide
Native speakers of Hakka Chinese: 30 Millions
History
are Han Chinese who speak Hakka Chinese and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi,
Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian
The Hakka's ancestors were often said to have arrived from what is today's central China centuries ago and
north China a thousand years ago. They originated from the lands bordering the Huang River (Yellow River)
or Shanxi, Henan, and Hubei provinces of northern China of today.
In a series of migrations, the Hakkas moved, settled in their present locations in southern China, and then
often migrated overseas to various countries throughout the world.
Hakka people have been a source of many revolutionary, government, and military leaders.
Hakkas were active during the Taiping Rebellion. The uprising, also known as Jintian Uprising, originated at
the Hakka village of Jintian in Guiping, Guangxi



Hakka's in Guangdong
Hakka's in Guangdong comprise about 60% of the total Hakka population.
Worldwide, over 95% of the overseas-descended Hakka came from this Guangdong region, usually from
Meizhou and Heyuan: Hakka there live mostly in the northeast part of the province.
The early Hakka ancestors traveling from north China entered Fujian first, then by way of the Tingjiang
River they traveled to Guangdong and other parts of China, as well as overseas. Thus, the Tingjiang River is
also regarded as the Hakka Mother River.

Martial arts
Hakka kuen
Hakka Kuen and the Fujian martial arts are strongly related.
Their common features are that during fights, the fighters prefer short steps and close fighting, with their
arms placed close to the chest, their elbows lowered and kept close to the flanks to offer it protection,
their boxing forms are rather simple.
(The characteristic rounded shoulders and concave chest of Hakka styles are the features that distinguish
them from Fujian styles.)
Architecture - Hakka walled village ()
Is a large multi-family communal living structure that is designed to be easily defensible.
This building style is unique to the Hakka people found in southern China.
Consist of one entrance and no windows at the ground level.
The Hakka were originally immigrants from northern China who settled in the southern provinces.
From the 17th century onwards, population pressures drove them more and more into conflict with their
neighbours (called punti in Cantonese).
As rivalry for resources turned to armed warfare, the Hakka began building communal living structures
designed to be easily defensible.
These houses were often round in shape and internally divided into many compartments for food storage,
living quarters, ancestral temple, armoury etc. The largest houses covered over 40,000 m and it is not
unusual to find surviving houses of over 10,000 m.




Punti-Hakka Clan Wars , 1855 - 1867
When the Ming Dynasty was overthrown by the Qing Dynasty, Ming loyalists fled to Taiwan to raise troops
in the hope of eventually retaking China for the Ming.
The Qing emperor, in order to stymie these efforts, twice commanded all residents of the coastal areas of
Guangdong and Fujian Provinces to move inland 30 kilometres, resulting in a large number of deaths
amongst the Punti.
(After the rebels in Taiwan were pacified, the Qing emperor rescinded these edicts).
However far fewer Punti returned than expected, so the Qing emperor provided incentives to repopulate
these areas. The most visible of those who responded were the Hakka. For some time the Punti and Hakka
lived together peacefully. As the population of Guangdong Province soared, life became increasingly
difficult and unrest broke out.

In 1851, the Taiping Rebellion, led by a Hakka Chinese, Hong Xiuquan, erupted in Guangxi Province and
quickly spread throughout Southern China. The rebellion was finally suppressed in 1867. In 1854, during
the rebellion, a local anti-Qing Triad took the opportunity to rebel, attacking Heyuan and Foshan. This "Red
Turban Rebellion" was finally suppressed in 1857.

Hakka hill songs ()
The songs vary in theme from love to personal conduct. In the past, they are said to have been used as a
method of courting between young men and women.
Hakka hill songs are also used as a form of communication at a distance. Since Hakka people mostly live in
hilly areas, song is used as a better means of communication than spoken words.
(The melody of Hakka Hill Songs tend to have higher pitch so the sound can travel farther).
The lyrics can also be made to contain puzzles, as a game or a more competitive nature. The challenger will
answer the puzzle in the form of song of similar melody.