How 2 remote Hong Kong villages are helping to revive the Hakka way of life
In the Hakka villages of Lai Chi Wo and Chuen Lung, art, cooking classes and tours shed light on the culture of early Hong Kong settlers
The Hakka community is known for its tradition of mass migration; the name literally translates to “guest families”, a poignant reminder of the people’s historical outsider status.
But their “guest” moniker has become a misnomer; they were the backbone of Hong Kong’s development well before the arrival of the British in the 19th century.
When waves of Cantonese-speaking migrants moved to the British colony from southern China in the 19th and 20th centuries, local indigenous populations such as the Hakka became marginalised and had to assimilate into mainstream Cantonese society, often abandoning their dialects and walled villages.
Two new projects in Hong Kong’s New Territories reveal there is a great deal we can learn about traditional Chinese culture through the stories of some of Hong Kong’s first inhabitants and their proud descendants.