Author: Martin Liu
Date: 09-29-02 13:00
http://www.shenzhenwindow.net/guides/hakka_house.htm
Miracle of Hakka Houses
MOST people are astonished when they catch sight of the intact Hakka houses in Longgang District of Shenzhen.
There are over 100 of the houses, most of them still in good condition, scattered throughout the district.
These precious historical relics, representing as they do the Hakkas' culture and their long struggle for prosperity, help us better understand Shenzhen's past.
The history of Shenzhen's Hakkas dates from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), when the people of the Central Plains in Shanxi and Henan provinces began migrating south to escape war and famine.
Winding up in Meizhou, a city in the northeast of Guangdong, they eventually made their way to what is now the Longgang District of Shenzhen. Historians say the Hakkas'settlement in Longgang began at the end of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and continued for centuries, apparently peaking during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The style of the houses is reminiscent of those in Meizhou. Their locations were chosen according to their builders¬ð desire to integrate Heaven and man, and the structures were built not only for habitation but also for defence.
The walls include observation posts, shooting-slits and walkways on top for armed sentries.
There are watchtowers in the four corners of the walls, making the homes resemble the old city walls once common in China.
The Fengtian Hereditary House in Pingshan Township, located at the foot of Zhugu Mountain, is surrounded by green trees. A bubbling brook flows in front. The house's structure, walls and sloping roofs follow the Central Plains people's traditional style.
Emphasizing symmetry in design, the house has a central line, along which the main buildings stand. Accompanying buildings are built symmetrically on both sides of the imaginary line.
The structure and style of the Hakka houses in Longgang have subtle variations from those of the Central Plains people. Unusually, not all the buildings in Longgang are single-storey. There are two-storey buildings; some of them even have attics.
Between the buildings are lanes and small yards, forming a kind of communication network within the walls. The overall design of the house, while stressing defence, also places great importance on beauty and comfort.
The houses are replete with wonderful illustrations, murals and carvings.
They are also distinguished by traditional banners pasted in every building. Displaying old couplets, the Hakka banners advise and encourage people to be upright citizens and strive for progress.
These Hakka houses offer proof that, contrary to popular belief, Shenzhen boasts an impressive history. This history, as symbolized by the Hakka houses in Longgang, should make Shenzheners proud.
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