Hakka Museum of China 中国客家博物馆

About Hakka Museum of China

Its main Hakka People exhibition uses genealogies and housing models to explain identity, kinship and settlement. Comparing a circular tulou with the curved arrangement of a weilong house makes the architectural differences easier to recognise. The circular entrance arch introduces that theme before the galleries, while the Meizhou History display places Hakka culture within the surrounding region.

The museum originated in 2004, when Meizhou decided to build Huang Zunxian Park (黄遵宪公园) around the former residence of Huang Zunxian (黄遵宪), with a Hakka museum planned alongside it. Construction began in March 2005, the centenary of Huang Zunxian's death, and the museum opened in April 2008 as the Guangdong Hakka Museum; in March 2009 it was renamed the Hakka Museum of China.

The museum stands in Hakka Park (客家公园) on Dongshan Avenue in the Jinshan subdistrict of Meijiang District, Meizhou, on a site of 170.3 mu (亩) with a floor area of 37,000 square meters and total investment of 150 million yuan. It is described as China's first museum devoted comprehensively to Hakka folk culture.

Designed by South China University of Technology's architectural institute, the complex is divided by the Zhouxi River (周溪河) into two zones: the eastern zone holds the main museum building with subsidiary halls for university presidents, generals and notable officials; the western zone forms the Huang Zunxian memorial area, comprising the Renjinglu (人境庐), Rongludi (荣禄第) and Enyuandi (恩元第) buildings. It was rated a national first-class museum (国家一级博物馆) in 2020 and a national AAA tourist attraction (国家AAA级旅游景区) in 2021.

What to look for

• Genealogies in the Hakka People exhibition make family migration and ancestry visible.
• Housing models compare circular tulou with weilong-house arrangements, including their curved outer form and forecourt setting.

Location & getting there

Getting to Hakka Museum of China

Go to the main campus at 2 Dongshan Avenue in Meijiang District. The museum’s overseas-Chinese branch on Meilong Road and Huang Zunxian’s historic residences are separate sites; select the main Hakka Museum destination for this sequence.