Editor's note: May 18 marks the International Museum Day, with the theme "The Power of Museums". Guangdong is home to 367 registered museums as of April 2022, ranking third in China. In this series, we will share with you several national first-class museums and some of their ongoing exhibitions in the province, to explore the potential of museums to bring about positive change in our communities.
(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)
Many people mistake Hakka for an Hakka ethnic minority in China. Actually Hakka means guest literally in Chinese. About 800 years ago, some Han people in north China migrated to south China (especially Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangxi provinces), and they were call Hakka.
Meizhou of Guangdong province is one of the cities with the largest number of Hakka people. It has profound Hakka culture and is usually regarded as the capital of the Hakkas. To gain a comprehensive knowledge of Hakka culture, the Hakka Museum of China in Meizhou is a must-visit spot.
There are two permanent exhibitions in the Museum, The Hakkas and The History of Meizhou.
The Hakkas section, in a big picture, shows the past, present and future of Hakka people from three parts: Their Origins, Humanities, and The Hakka Spirit. The Origin tell the history of Hakka's migration, agricultural development and genealogy; The Humanities displays the Hakka's marriage customs, dances, dramas and distinctive houses; The Hakka Spirit includes the Hakka Ancestral Hall, Hakka language and their education.
Another exhibition, the History of Meizhou, introduces the city's historical story and how the Hakka people integrated with locals.
The exhibitions feature relics, graphics, three-dimensional reproduction, scene restoration, projection and other multimedia technologies.
About the Hakka Museum of China
(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)
Covering an area of 37,000 square meters, the Hakka Museum of China is the first comprehensive museum in China that displays the origin and development of Hakka culture, and systematically collects Hakka historical folk relics.
In December 2020, this museum was rated as a national first-class museum, and has become an important platform for Hakka people to communicate and trace their origins.
Ticket price: Free (Please make a reservation on the WeChat account "中国客家博物馆" in advance.)
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00, Tuesday to Friday; 9:00-17:30, Saturday to Sunday, closed on Mondays
Add.: No.2, Dongshan Avenue, Meijiang District, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province (广东省梅州市梅江区东山大道2号)
Author: Ariel, Serena (intern)
Editor: Wing, Monica, Nan, Abby, Jerry
