Where is Jiaoling County

This trip was actually a work requirement, but in my spare time, I still had the opportunity to visit Jiaoling County, known as the “World Longevity Hometown.” After experiencing the Hakka culture and humanistic landscape here, I finally understood why it has such a reputation. The unhurried way of life, the long history, and the quaint customs have created generations of residents who live in this land.

I visited more than 10 companies these past few days, which really opened my eyes and overturned my previous understanding of some traditional enterprises. In my past impression, cement plants were gray factories with serious pollution and noise, but this time I saw factory areas with shady trees and flowers in bloom. The sky above the factory area was blue and white clouds, which made people feel relaxed and happy. There are also chemical plants and grain processing plants that look like gardens, making people think they have wandered into a private garden. Imagine working in such a beautiful environment, how happy your mood would be, and your efficiency would be hard not to be high!











I always thought that Chaoshan tea culture was the best in China, but I didn’t expect Hakka tea culture to be comparable. Most of the companies we visited were personally received by entrepreneurs. Every time we arrived, they first brewed a pot of steaming hot tea, then poured it into small teacups similar to Kung Fu tea and handed it to everyone. None of them used paper cups or plastic cups for pouring tea. Most of the tea leaves brewed were local hand-fried tea, and some were mountain tea. The taste of the tea was strong, so much so that I inadvertently drank too much and had insomnia every night. In the process of interacting with entrepreneurs, I can fully feel their peaceful mentality, humility, low-key, and pragmatic and steady business style. 



This business trip was in a hurry, so I didn’t have time to visit famous scenic spots. Every morning I got up at 6:20 to walk and enjoy the scenery on both sides of Shiku River, and went to the old city to see the ancient walled houses. In addition, the dinner places carefully selected by my friends every day allowed us to make full use of this spare time to experience the beautiful scenery of Jiaoling’s mountains, rivers, and fields, and taste local pure, natural, and pollution-free ingredients. Jiaoling is my ideal place to live. It has beautiful scenery like a paradise, delicious food, and a rich and profound Hakka culture. The beautiful mountains, water, and soil here have nurtured generations of Hakka people in Jiaoling. I am very envious of them for being able to live in such a good place. It is said that there are more than 20 people over 100 years old in Jiaoling, and more than 1000 people over 90 years old. This is mainly attributed to the good living environment here, such as water, soil, and air. It is also closely related to the Hakka people’s lifestyle and normal state of mind. 













Hakka Enclosing Dragon Style Walled Houses

Enclosing dragon style walled houses, also known as semicircular walled houses or square walled houses, are typical embodiments of traditional Hakka rites and ethics, as well as feng shui and philosophical ideas. Enclosing dragon style walled houses are generally built against a hillside, and their structure is based on the central main hall or hall. The main hall is generally two to three sections, with a square structure, divided into the upper hall, middle hall, and lower hall (three sections). There are equally square-structured transverse houses on both sides of the main hall, simply called “transverse houses.” From the main hall outwards, the house structure expands in concentric semicircles, each layer being called a “circle” or “enclosing dragon.” The number of layers of enclosing dragons and the number of rows of transverse houses on one side are generally the same. Ordinary enclosing dragon houses have “two halls, two transverse houses, and one enclosing dragon” (with a main hall in the middle, one row of transverse houses on each side, corresponding to one layer of enclosing dragon), “three halls, two transverse houses, and one enclosing dragon”, “four transverse houses and one enclosing dragon” (one enclosing dragon corresponding to two rows of transverse houses), “four transverse houses and two enclosing dragons” (two layers of enclosing dragons), etc., and can reach up to “ten transverse houses and five enclosing dragons”. There is generally a semicircular pond in front of the enclosing dragon house, making the overall view look like a Tai Chi pattern: the land house is yang, and the water in front of the house is yin. This is also a reflection of feng shui theory in Hakka culture.



I hurriedly visited the Qiu family Wen walled house early this morning. This walled house, with a history of 300 years and having raised more than 200 members of the clan, is now deserted, with only some ruins left. It has become a chicken coop, but how many beautiful childhood memories, how many footprints of happy and harmonious family life… And this old well, it records the survival and reproduction of this clan. The clear well water seems to be still waiting for the boy who used to carry the water bucket to fetch water back home; the locked door seems to lock all the footprints of that family’s life here; every brick and every tile carries the bits and pieces of this clan’s life.















The Tradition of Respecting Literature and Education

During the meal, my friends introduced us to the Hakka tradition of respecting literature and education. In the Meizhou area, “Every village has a school, every family has a student, and there are sounds of reading everywhere.” It is the “cultural hometown” of China. Hakka people have used children’s songs to educate their children on respecting literature and education from a young age: “If you don’t read poetry and books, you will have eyes but cannot see.” As long as their children are dedicated to their studies, their parents, no matter how poor or how hard they work, even if they rely on carrying burdens and burning charcoal, will provide for their education. At the same time, there are various village rules and customs in Hakka folklore to promote education. Many clans have public fields and public mountains. This is because when the ancestors divided their family property, they did not completely divide the ancestral property, but left part of the land, mountains, and fish ponds as clan property, and used the annual income from this property to establish village schools, help teachers, and support their clan’s children in school. Some clan rules also stipulate that those who pass the high school or university entrance exams will be given financial assistance. In addition, there were previously “literary conferences” and “mutual aid societies” in the countryside, which used the money and grain collected from the joint stock to provide scholarships to support poor children in their education. 

The Hakka people have a tradition of respecting teachers. They educate their children to respect teachers, “Once a teacher, forever a father.” In the past, some Hakka mountain village students would take turns sending vegetables to their teachers on a daily basis. On New Year’s Day and festivals, parents would invite their teachers to their homes as guests or send them some local products.

I’ve been running around non-stop these past few days. It’s not a lie to say that I’m not physically tired, but my mind is a little excited! I saw cement plants with shady trees and flowers, and sophisticated chemical plants; I visited fluorescent material companies that rank among the top in the world in terms of technology. Every day I breathe fresh and natural air; I drink sweet and delicious mountain spring water; I eat original and delicious dishes; I listen to my friends talk about traditional Hakka culture and stories; the gentle mountain breeze carries the fragrance of flowers and blows by, refreshing! Jiaoling has beautiful mountains, beautiful water, and beautiful scenery, but the most beautiful thing is the Hakka brothers and friends! Although time was short and we didn’t specifically visit, the people, things, and objects I came into contact with during work and life made me fully feel the charm of Hakka culture. This was a journey full of gains, a journey that I will never forget!