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Introduction to Meizhou in Guangdong, China
Meizhou (Chinese: 梅州, Hakka Chinese: Mòichû) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangdong province, China. It has an area of 15,864.51 km2 (6,125.32 sq mi), and a population of 3,873,239 million as of the 2020 census. It comprises Meijiang District, Meixian District, Xingning City, and five counties.
Introduction to Meizhou, a famous historical and cultural city in Guangdong
Meizhou, a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, the former Central Soviet Area and the old revolutionary base area, is located in the northeastern part of Guangdong Province, at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces. It borders the source of the river and connects with Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province in the north.
Meizhou is one of the most concentrated settlements of Hakka people. It is known as the “Hakka Capital of the World”. It is also a national historical and cultural city, an excellent tourist city in China, a national garden city, a national health city, a national model city for dual support, and a self-driving tour in China. Best Destination, China’s Top 10 Safest Cities, China’s Top 10 Green and Environmental Symbol Cities, and the first livable urban and rural demonstration city in Guangdong.
Meizhou is known as “the hometown of culture, the hometown of overseas Chinese, the hometown of football, and the hometown of Hakka cuisine”. It is known as the hometown of hot springs, the hometown of longevity, and the hometown of printmaking.
Meizhou History and Culture
1. Cultural heritage
Meizhou is an important meeting point between China’s Central Plains culture and southern indigenous culture. It is famous for its unique Hakka culture and has the reputation of “the first-class cultural relics”. It was named as a national historical and cultural city by the State Council.
1. Architectural culture
Meizhou has various forms of Hakka dwellings, such as the Dragon House, Zouma Tower, Wufeng Tower, Tuwei Tower, Quadrangle Tower, Multi-Bar Tower, Chinese-Western Mixed Arcade, Gun Tower, Diaolou, etc. , Siheyuan style and other architectural styles, among which the dragon house and the four-cornered building are the most distinctive and famous.
2. Culture and art
In the long-term production and life, Meizhou has also created Hakka folk songs, Guangdong Han opera, Guangdong Han music, tea picking opera, puppet show, cup flower dance, lion dance, boat lantern dance, Cambodian fire dragon, bamboo horse dance, Taoist dance, garland dragon, Hakka dragon lanterns, carp dances, cymbal flowers, bamboo board songs, Cambodian paper flowers, Hakka boxing, Hakka studies, Hakka nursery rhymes, Hakka literature and other cultural heritages have made significant contributions to the prosperity of Chinese culture.
Meizhou has seven provincial art towns. Three of them are named “Hometown of Chinese Folk Art”, namely the hometown of Hakka folk song art in Meixian County, the hometown of garland dragon art in Chayang Town, Dapu, and the hometown of fire dragon art in Fengshun Township.
In addition, there are: Pingyuan Boat Lantern Art Hometown, Wuhua Bamboo Horse Art Hometown, Xingning Cup Flower Dance Art Hometown, Printmaking Hometown, Lantern Hometown, Dapu Guangdong Han Music Art Hometown.
In 2010, the Ministry of Culture approved the establishment of the “Hakka Cultural Ecological Protection Experimental Zone” in Meizhou.
2. Overseas Chinese culture
Meizhou is one of the most representative Hakka settlements in the world. It is the final destination for the Hakka people to move south and the main starting point for spreading all over the world. It is an important ancestral home and spiritual home of Hakka overseas Chinese all over the world, and is honored as the “Hakka Capital of the World”.
Meizhou is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese and a key hometown of overseas Chinese in the country. The overseas Chinese from Meizhou have a large number, wide distribution and strong strength, and they have made great contributions to their hometown. There are more than 7 million overseas Chinese living in more than 80 countries and regions. There are more than 2.5 million compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and among the 5 million Hakka people in Taiwan, 1.8 million have their ancestry in Meizhou.
In October 2013, established by UNESCO, the only immigrant memorial project in China – China (Meizhou) Immigrant Memorial Plaza was officially completed in Songkou Town, Mei County. At the same time, the exhibition hall for overseas Chinese immigrants from all over the world was also opened to welcome guests.
In 2016, the “Chinese Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Base” was established in the Chinese Immigrant Memorial Plaza in Songkou Town, Meixian County. In 2017, Songkou Ancient Town in Meixian County and 10 units including Guangzhou Thirteen Lines and Huangpu Ancient Port won the title of “Guangdong Top Ten Maritime Silk Road Cultural Geographical Coordinates”.
3. Red Culture
Meizhou is an old revolutionary base. In 2013, the Central Party History Research Office confirmed that the whole of Meizhou was within the scope of the former Central Soviet Area. The older generation of proletarian revolutionaries such as Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Chen Yi and Ye Jianying once carried out revolutionary activities on this red land.
The August 1st Nanchang Uprising Army and the Fourth Red Army fought bloody battles here; Sanheba Battle, Tangkeng Battle, Meicheng Battle and other battles took place here. On this glorious land, the Dongjiang Revolutionary Base and Jiulongzhang were established. In the revolutionary base areas, the 11th Army of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, the Central Red Line of Communication, the Anti-Japanese Hanjiang Column, and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Fujian-Guangdong-Gangan Border Column were born, and many revolutionary heroes emerged.
Meizhou now has Ye Jianying Memorial Park, Sanheba Battle Memorial Park, Meizhou Revolutionary History Memorial Hall, Fujian-Guangdong-Jiangxi Border Area Revolutionary History Memorial Hall, Central Soviet Area (Wuhua) History Museum, Pingyuan Red Army Memorial Park, Jiulongzhang Revolutionary Memorial Hall, East Jiangsu Wei’ai Memorial Hall , the site of the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants and Soldiers, the site of the Southern Work Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Jianzhen Memorial Hall, the former residence of Gu Dacun and a number of national and provincial red tourist attractions. According to statistics from the Meizhou Party History Department, there are 366 revolutionary sites in the city.
4. Common language
Meizhou is a relatively concentrated settlement of Hakka people, and Hakka is the main language. Except for about 110,000 people in the three towns of Tangkeng, Tangnan and Liuhuang in Fengshun who use Chaoshan dialect, most of them use Hakka dialect (also known as Meizhou dialect).
Meixian, Xingning, Jiaoling, Pingyuan, Wuhua, Dapu, Fengshun and other counties under the jurisdiction of Meizhou speak the same Hakka dialect. There is no obstacle to language communication, but there are some differences in pronunciation. Meixian dialect is the representative.
5. Religious beliefs
According to “Meizhou Religious Records”, Meizhou is a big city for religious work, with four major religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and Christianity. As of 2018, there are Holy Family Cathedral, Lingguang Temple, Thousand Buddha Pagoda, Shenguang Temple, Wanfu Temple, Stone There are more than 490 places for religious activities such as Lin Temple, Ping’an Temple and Taiping Temple, 37 religious groups, more than 1,200 teaching staff, and about 300,000 believers.
In the city, 37 places for religious activities have been awarded as “Model Religious Activity Sites in Guangdong Province” by the Provincial Ethnic and Religious Committee, and 147 places have been rated as “standard places” for the national activities of creating harmonious temples and churches.
6. City signs
1. Landmarks
In 2017, it was planned by Meizhou Daily, and jointly selected the “Top Ten Cultural Landmarks of Hakdu” in cooperation with the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio and New Technology, the Municipal Tourism Bureau, and the Municipal Housing and Urban-rural Development Bureau. Renjinglu, Meijiang Bridge, Yinna Mountain, Ye Shuai’s Former Residence, Shenguang Mountain, Cheng Min’s Hometown, Qiu Fengjia’s Former Residence, Father and Son Jinshi Archway, Changle Academy, Luohan Mingquan, etc. are on the list.
2. City tree
In January 2018, “Osmanthus Tree” was selected as the “City Tree” in Meizhou.
3. City flower
Meizhou has been famous for its “Plum Blossom” since ancient times, and it is the only city in China named after “Plum”. When the poet Yang Wanli of the Southern Song Dynasty traveled to Meizhou, he wrote a wonderful poem, “Whoever plants ten li of plums along the way, the stream will open just right next to it; this trip is no official business, just for the sake of plum blossoms.”
In 1993, the plum blossom was recognized as the city flower of Meizhou City. In 1994, the proposal to “build Meizhou into a hometown of plum blossoms” was passed at the World Hakka Association Conference held in Meizhou. Plum planting base, Shili Plum Blossom Promenade, Ancient Plum Dream View and other plum viewing spots.
7. Cultural relics
The city has discovered 398 Neolithic cultural sites, 87 ancient kiln sites, 179 ancient tombs, 206 ancient buildings, 140 modern revolutionary historical relics sites, and Ye Shuai’s former residence has been listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit. Guangdong There are 25 cultural relics protection units in the province, including the site of Changletai in the Western Han Dynasty in Huacheng, the site of the Neolithic Stone Tool Workshop in Messi and Changtian, the Iron Tower of the Thousand Buddhas in the Southern Han Dynasty, the Lingguang Temple, an ancient building in the Tang Dynasty, the Eight-foot Piyong Inkstone in the Tang Dynasty, The Ming Dynasty father and son Jinshi archway and so on are known as the treasures of national cultural relics.
The ancient kiln sites that have been excavated mainly include Shuiche Kiln, Yaoshang Kiln in Meixian County, Shizheng Kiln in Pingyuan, Dapu Yuli Kiln, Dapu Gaopi Kiln, Longjingkeng Kiln, and Yetian Kiln in Ming Dynasty.
Meizhou fun places
1. Scenic spots
1. A-level scenic spots
5A-level scenic spot: Yannanfei Tea Field Resort;
4A-level scenic spots include Ye Jianying Memorial Park, Yanming Lake Tourist Resort, Lingguang Temple, Changtan Tourist Resort, Ketianxia Tourist Industrial Park, Tai’an Building, Baihou Town Tourist Area, Wuzhi Stone Scenic Area, Shenguang Mountain National Forest Park, Luhu Hot Spring Resort, Xihe Bay;
3A-level scenic spots include Tanghu Hot Mineral Mud Villa, Thousand Buddha Pagoda, Xiyan Mountain Tea Village Resort, Longjing River Rafting, Yitang Reservoir, Pingshan Thousand-mu Terraced Fields, Former Residence of Zhang Bishi, Fuda Ceramics Industrial Tourism Zone, and Sanheba Battle Memorial Park , Shangju Hakka Acacia Valley, Acacia River Scenic Area, Riverside Family Leisure Resort, Cherry Blossom Valley, Nanshoufeng Health Industrial Park, Former Residence of Lee Kuan Yew, Longguizhai Waterfall, Jinsui Ecological Farm, Beitang Village, Mantuo Villa, Han Dynasty Guangchaoshun Farm Hotel.
2. Meijiang District: China Hakka Museum, Huang Zunxian Memorial Hall, Meitai Cultural and Creative Industry Park, Meitai Agricultural Cooperation Demonstration Park, Meizhou Academy, Dongshan Academy, Panguifang, Hongxingfang, Pankeng, Lin Fengmian’s former residence, Meizhou Old Mansion Urban District, Poetry and Painting Meijiang River, Shili Plum Blossom Promenade, Dongshan Healthy Town, Qingliang Mountain
3. Meixian District: Ancient Charm of Qiaoxi, Ancient Villages of Chashan, Wangshou Mountain, Renhou Wengong Temple, Nanfu Spring and Autumn, Yinna Mountain Tourist Resort, Foguang Temple, Luhushan Cultural Industry Park, Sijijiahe Modern Industrial Park, Xinnan Bay Waterfront Recreation and Leisure Center, Dongtian Lake, Songkou Ancient Town, Overseas Chinese Village, Hengxi Ecological Park, Jiguan Mountain, Kedurenjia Health Culture and Tourism Complex, Ancient Plum Dream View, Chaotang Ancient Plum, Xianghe Health Park, Meisei Reservoir , Wuzhifeng Astronomy Science Park, Chinese Collection Culture Demonstration Base, Green Grotto Pool, Zhang Rongxuan Memorial Hall, Song Xiang’s Former Residence, Cai Mengji’s Former Residence, Deng Zhongyuan’s Former Residence
4. Xingning City: Heshui Reservoir, Hongyuan Hot Spring Ecological Park, Happy Yajia Hakka Cultural Tourism Resort, Xingning Ancient City Wall, Huangfengfeng Chashan Tourist Area, Xingning Weihong Practice Education Base, Huaxia Ancestral Hall Cultural Base, Pan Anwei, Jinming Lake Eco-tourism Industrial Park, Pearl Health Mountain City, He Ziyuan’s Former Residence, Heshanyan
5. Pingyuan County: Dafo Temple, Shilong Village, Longhu Lake, Biegudongtian Scenic Spot, Pingyuan Red Army Memorial Park, Rezhe Hot Spring, Xinyuan Leisure Villa, Hongtai Ecological Farm, Chang’an Weiwu Farm, Red Damiang Villa, Dragon Wen-Huangtian Nature Reserve, Xiang Shanzheng, Cheng Min Memorial Hall
6. Jiaoling County: Former Residence of Qiu Fengjia, Former Residence of Xie Jinyuan, Shizhai Ancient Village, Huangyoubi Nature Reserve, Longtan Waterfall, Zhenshan National Forest Park, Jiuling Village, Nantang Bamboo Sea, Former Residence of Luo Fuxing, Xinghua Temple , Baima Village, Hehuahai, Mingyue Ancient Road, Hanguang Chaoshun Modern Agricultural Park
7. Dapu County: Ruishan Ecotourism Resort, Dapu Food Street, Gongchen Building, Xiaoliu Village, Sanhe Ancient Town, Chayang Ancient City, Sanhe Ancient City Wall, Wanfu Temple, Fengxi Forest Park, Huacalyx Building, Sweet Bamboo Village, Feitian Horse Tea Culture Industrial Park, Shuangji Mountain Provincial Forest Park, Dapu Honey Pomelo Park, Sanhe Zhongshan Memorial Hall, Zhongshan Park, West Lake Park, Mingshan Mountain, Yinlongding, Hanjiangyuan
8. Fengshun County: Qianjiang Hot Spring Resort, Jindebao Hyatt International Hot Spring Resort, Jinri Hot Spring Resort, Jianzhen Memorial Hall, Jianzhen Park, Baxiang Mountain Grand Canyon, Tonggu Peak, Hanshan Ecological Tourism Resort, Baxiang Mountain Tourism Resort District, Huanghua Village, Wanfo Garden, Huiren Holy Temple, Jiulongzhang, Hutoushan Tourist Area, Zhongxuan Shangwei, Taiping Temple, Jieling Feiquan
9. Wuhua County: Qimuzhang, Former Residence of Li Huitang, Former Residence of Li Weiguang, Changle School, Shixiong Mountain Pagoda, Changle Terrace, Ping’an Temple, Paradise Mountain, Yixing Lake Health Resort Villa, Dengyunzhang Ecological Yunwu Tea Scenic Spot, Hutian Farm, Puliding Forest Park, Laohecang Ecological Tourism Village, Wuzhou Sunshine Hot Spring Resort, Qin and Han Culture Characteristic Light and Shadow Town, Shuanglong Mountain, Ketianxia Tourism Industrial Park
2. Specialty delicacies
Meizhou is rich in specialties, including Meizhou golden pomelo, Pingyuan navel orange, Hakka maiden wine, Changle shochu, pearl red wine, Yixiantian wine, Nantai wine, Nanhua Laojiao, Wuye Shen, Qinglan, dried plum vegetables, chrysanthemum cake, Hakka ginger candy , Dabu Dried Tofu, Datian Persimmon Flower, Xinqiao Yuba, Leicha, Dancong Tea, Qingliang Mountain Tea, Jiaoling Green Tea, Matu Green Tea, Xiyan Oolong Tea, Baxiang Yunwu Tea, Qishejing Tea, Guodu Tea, Qilan, Fuding tea, radish seedling tea, Kedu rice, Dabu blue and white porcelain, Guiling honey, Jiaoling winter bamboo shoots, Sanzhen Huaishan, Baxiangshan sweet potato and other famous and high-quality specialties.
Meizhou is the hometown of Hakka cuisine. There are Meizhou pickled noodles, salt-baked chicken, salt-baked chicken feet, salt-baked roast duck, salt-baked duck legs, stuffed tofu, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed bitter gourd, stuffed eggplant, pork with plums, raw fish, Hakka Poon Choi, Hakka Beef Balls, Hakka Niangjiu Chicken, Sanjidi Soup, Xianren Bun, Bamboo Shoots, Yellow Bread, Rice Bread, Sweet Bread and many other Hakka delicacies.
