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Jack and Sophia Torr visit Meizhou, a Guangdong city known for Hakka culture and often overlooked by travelers. They walk through the ancient city and old quarter, visit a Hakka marriage store, and learn about the Hakka language, a blend of Mandarin and Cantonese. The trip includes local snacks, a jelly-like dessert with a soap-like aroma and sweet taste, a Hakka Museum visit, and a map of migration across Asia. They see architecture compared with Balinese and Nepalese influences and buy handmade bowls. Meizhou is described as the largest centralized Hakka population area.
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Meizhou's old quarter and Hakka customs
Jack and Sophia Torr explore Meizhou, a city in Guangdong often overlooked by mainstream tourism. They describe it as a fourth-tier city and notice a peaceful atmosphere, especially compared with larger places such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou. In the ancient city and old quarter, they see local shops selling traditional items and flags and observe a mix of shops and everyday activity.
They learn about the Hakka language, which they describe as a blend of Mandarin and Cantonese with distinctive words. A visit to a Hakka marriage store introduces them to traditional wedding goods and customs, including the practice of gifting chickens for weddings. They also meet a resourceful entrepreneur who sells snacks alongside practical goods such as plumbing supplies. The couple sample a local dessert with a thick, jelly-like texture and a soap-like aroma, though it tastes sweet.
Museum, migration, and handmade bowls
The Hakka Museum offers more context about the community's history, culture, and people. Jack and Sophia see a migration map showing Hakka leaders and communities moving overseas, which helps explain Chinese influence in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. The museum's beams remind them of Balinese architecture, and they also see details they compare with Nepalese architecture, including lotus flowers. They describe Meizhou as the largest centralized Hakka population area and as a place where the Hakka language is spoken in an authentic form.
The couple also visit a local square and shrine, sample snacks, and find handmade bowls. They appreciate the craftsmanship and say the bowls cost about $14, making them a valued souvenir. Their trip combines old streets, wedding customs, local entrepreneurship, food, museum exhibits, migration history, and local crafts. The video offers a view of Hakka culture in a city that the travelers say is often bypassed, with opportunities to interact with people and experience daily life away from the usual tourist route.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What is the Hakka language like?
- A: Jack and Sophia describe it as a blend of Mandarin and Cantonese, with some distinct words that give it a recognizable character.
- Q: What is special about Meizhou's marriage stores?
- A: They sell goods used in traditional Hakka weddings. The couple also learn about customs such as gifting chickens.
- Q: What surprised them about local businesses?
- A: They meet a woman selling snacks alongside plumbing supplies, which they see as a resourceful way to keep a business going.
- Q: What did the local jelly-like dessert taste like?
- A: It had a thick jelly texture and a soap-like aroma, but tasted sweet to Jack and Sophia.
- Q: Why is Meizhou significant to Hakka people?
- A: The video describes it as the largest centralized Hakka population area and a place where the Hakka language is spoken in an authentic form.
- Q: What architecture did they notice at the Hakka Museum?
- A: The museum's beams reminded them of Balinese architecture, and they noticed details they compared with Nepalese architecture, including lotus flowers.
- Q: What did they learn about Hakka migration?
- A: The museum's map shows Hakka migration overseas and helps explain Chinese influence in places such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Q: Were the handmade bowls worth buying?
- A: They buy handmade bowls for about $14 and feel the price is good for distinctive items that show local craftsmanship.
