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Hakka (literally meaning "guest families") describes a Han Chinese people whose ancestors migrated southwards since the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). Subsequent massive migrations occurred because of social unrest and upheaval, wars, famines, or invasion of foreign conquerors. The migrants put their roots down in southern provinces such as Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunan, Guizhou and Taiwan. Many migrated overseas. Today, many Hakka live in remote mountainous areas.
Though Hakka came from the central China and they have been known collectively by the name of guest families, their ancestors spoke different dialects and were actually people who did not relate to each other in any way. After fusing with local residents in their new settlements in remote areas, their dialects adopted some new linguistic features. Today, many people are known as Hakka, but they speak different dialects and have different customs. Hakka is a complicated phenomenon that commands studies in various fields. There are various theories about the people. It is not even clear whether they called themselves Hakka first or it was a name created and used by other people.
This story features some interesting customs of the Hakka in Ruijin, a mountainous area in Jiangxi Province.
Road Repair Gathering
One day in the first half of August on the lunar calendar, Hakka people in this part of the mountain gather together to repair roads that connect them to the outside world. Some road repair organizations are village-based and some have members from a few villages in neighborhood. They take care of different sections of a road system. People bring wine, food and tools to the gathering. The group leader makes arrangements for meals. Families who have got married or have had sons since the last road repair session will send wine, cakes and fruits to the new session. Those who enjoy better financial situations give generously. Food and wine must arrive before lunchtime. Under the instruction of the leader, the tables are set and the food and wine served. The best jars of wine must be saved for the evening banquet. When everything is ready, firecrackers are set off, calling road repairers back for the lunch. Passersby and woodcutters can come to enjoy the lunch free of charge. Repairers do not get drunk at lunch, for they have work to do in the afternoon. When all the work for the day is done, the road repairers sit down to the real banquet. Before people get drunk, the leader reports to the villagers who sent what wine, and villagers draw lots and elect a leader for the road repair day next year. The leader also reports the expenses to the public. The leader then distributes some remaining wine to all the jars and wrap up the mouth of each jar with a piece of red cloth, a gesture to express appreciation for household contributions.
The largest road repair group once had nearly one hundred households from a number of mountain villages under the jurisdiction of three adjacent rural townships. Nowadays, some families who have had baby girls since last year’s road repair gathering will send wine, food and fruit to the banquets and the tributes are happily accepted.
Roadside Pavilions
For more than 10 years I traveled a lot and saw a lot of roadside pavilions built by Hakka. Most of these simple and pragmatic structures are far away from anywhere, built to give travelers a place to take a break or take shelter when rain pours. These roadside pavilions are also places where people see off their friends and wait for the arrival of their family members and friends.
Many of these pavilions are built on bridges. Some bridges have pavilions that resemble rooms and cover the whole length of a bridge. But most are just one-room structures. I once saw a pavilion on a bridge with a dark-faced god standing inside, holding a mace in the left hand and pointing forward with the right hand.
In the past, remote mountainous areas were connected with each other and to the outside world with narrow roads in wilderness, traveled by Hakka villagers and vendors. Many pavilions had long benches and even jars of spring water or tea for travelers. This was a way the Hakka people showed care and concern to each other in this part of the province.
Many roadside pavilions have been erected in recent years with contributions from descendents of Hakka people who migrated from here to overseas.
Bridge Unveiling Ceremony
In Hakka areas, whenever a bridge is being built, masters will block people from using the bridge with fences. After the completion of the bridge, a big ceremony must be held to open it to the general public.
It is very difficult to start a bridge project. Usually there must be someone who takes the initiative and organize a bridge-building organizing committee. Organizers then begin to visit villages and towns in the neighborhood to raise money. Most people contribute cash and some make material contributions such as rice. If someone rich refuses to make a contribution to a bridge project, his parsimony will be remembered. When he wants to use the bridge for a wedding or funeral or similar big events, he will be denied the privilege until he pays a heavy compensation for the previous wrong.
When the bridge is completed, celebration will be announced in villages in the neighborhood and everyone is invited to witness the big occasion. Wealthy families usually compete against each other in making contributions to see who is more generous. Local celebrities and the public-spirited people are usually there. In the ancient times, those who came on horses or sedan chairs must get off before the bridge. After firecrackers were set off, families would walk through the bridge one after another. Usually someone of special significance is elected to unveil the bridge. Once upon a time in the local history, a 36-year-old grandpa and his grandson were chosen to walk through a new bridge first. Yunlong Bridge, an ancient bridge in Ruijin City, undertook a big refurbishment in the late 1980s and early 1990s. To unveil the bridge to the public use, a granny who was more than 100 years old and who had bound feet was chosen. Looking back, many people wonder whether the granny was the first woman for such a big occasion ever.
Usually, the organizers give the first bridge walker a cash envelope and usually the envelope donates it for charity.
The bridge unveiling ceremony originates from an ancient event. A long time ago, Lu Ban, the first master carpenter in Chinese history, constructed a bridge. When the bridge was completed, a god masqueraded himself as a sheep herder and came to test the craft of the master carpenter. The god asked if he and his nine sheep could use the bridge. The bridge maker agreed but soon found something odd taking place. Only three sheep had walked onto the bridge when the bridge began to shake and was on the verge of collapsing. Aware of what was happening, Lu Ban used his ruler to prop up the bridge. Bu the nine sheep were actually nine mountains. Under the weight, the ruler was broken. Even today, sheep are not allowed to walk on Hakka bridges. □
Though Hakka came from the central China and they have been known collectively by the name of guest families, their ancestors spoke different dialects and were actually people who did not relate to each other in any way. After fusing with local residents in their new settlements in remote areas, their dialects adopted some new linguistic features. Today, many people are known as Hakka, but they speak different dialects and have different customs. Hakka is a complicated phenomenon that commands studies in various fields. There are various theories about the people. It is not even clear whether they called themselves Hakka first or it was a name created and used by other people.
This story features some interesting customs of the Hakka in Ruijin, a mountainous area in Jiangxi Province.
Road Repair Gathering
One day in the first half of August on the lunar calendar, Hakka people in this part of the mountain gather together to repair roads that connect them to the outside world. Some road repair organizations are village-based and some have members from a few villages in neighborhood. They take care of different sections of a road system. People bring wine, food and tools to the gathering. The group leader makes arrangements for meals. Families who have got married or have had sons since the last road repair session will send wine, cakes and fruits to the new session. Those who enjoy better financial situations give generously. Food and wine must arrive before lunchtime. Under the instruction of the leader, the tables are set and the food and wine served. The best jars of wine must be saved for the evening banquet. When everything is ready, firecrackers are set off, calling road repairers back for the lunch. Passersby and woodcutters can come to enjoy the lunch free of charge. Repairers do not get drunk at lunch, for they have work to do in the afternoon. When all the work for the day is done, the road repairers sit down to the real banquet. Before people get drunk, the leader reports to the villagers who sent what wine, and villagers draw lots and elect a leader for the road repair day next year. The leader also reports the expenses to the public. The leader then distributes some remaining wine to all the jars and wrap up the mouth of each jar with a piece of red cloth, a gesture to express appreciation for household contributions.
The largest road repair group once had nearly one hundred households from a number of mountain villages under the jurisdiction of three adjacent rural townships. Nowadays, some families who have had baby girls since last year’s road repair gathering will send wine, food and fruit to the banquets and the tributes are happily accepted.
Roadside Pavilions
For more than 10 years I traveled a lot and saw a lot of roadside pavilions built by Hakka. Most of these simple and pragmatic structures are far away from anywhere, built to give travelers a place to take a break or take shelter when rain pours. These roadside pavilions are also places where people see off their friends and wait for the arrival of their family members and friends.
Many of these pavilions are built on bridges. Some bridges have pavilions that resemble rooms and cover the whole length of a bridge. But most are just one-room structures. I once saw a pavilion on a bridge with a dark-faced god standing inside, holding a mace in the left hand and pointing forward with the right hand.
In the past, remote mountainous areas were connected with each other and to the outside world with narrow roads in wilderness, traveled by Hakka villagers and vendors. Many pavilions had long benches and even jars of spring water or tea for travelers. This was a way the Hakka people showed care and concern to each other in this part of the province.
Many roadside pavilions have been erected in recent years with contributions from descendents of Hakka people who migrated from here to overseas.
Bridge Unveiling Ceremony
In Hakka areas, whenever a bridge is being built, masters will block people from using the bridge with fences. After the completion of the bridge, a big ceremony must be held to open it to the general public.
It is very difficult to start a bridge project. Usually there must be someone who takes the initiative and organize a bridge-building organizing committee. Organizers then begin to visit villages and towns in the neighborhood to raise money. Most people contribute cash and some make material contributions such as rice. If someone rich refuses to make a contribution to a bridge project, his parsimony will be remembered. When he wants to use the bridge for a wedding or funeral or similar big events, he will be denied the privilege until he pays a heavy compensation for the previous wrong.
When the bridge is completed, celebration will be announced in villages in the neighborhood and everyone is invited to witness the big occasion. Wealthy families usually compete against each other in making contributions to see who is more generous. Local celebrities and the public-spirited people are usually there. In the ancient times, those who came on horses or sedan chairs must get off before the bridge. After firecrackers were set off, families would walk through the bridge one after another. Usually someone of special significance is elected to unveil the bridge. Once upon a time in the local history, a 36-year-old grandpa and his grandson were chosen to walk through a new bridge first. Yunlong Bridge, an ancient bridge in Ruijin City, undertook a big refurbishment in the late 1980s and early 1990s. To unveil the bridge to the public use, a granny who was more than 100 years old and who had bound feet was chosen. Looking back, many people wonder whether the granny was the first woman for such a big occasion ever.
Usually, the organizers give the first bridge walker a cash envelope and usually the envelope donates it for charity.
The bridge unveiling ceremony originates from an ancient event. A long time ago, Lu Ban, the first master carpenter in Chinese history, constructed a bridge. When the bridge was completed, a god masqueraded himself as a sheep herder and came to test the craft of the master carpenter. The god asked if he and his nine sheep could use the bridge. The bridge maker agreed but soon found something odd taking place. Only three sheep had walked onto the bridge when the bridge began to shake and was on the verge of collapsing. Aware of what was happening, Lu Ban used his ruler to prop up the bridge. Bu the nine sheep were actually nine mountains. Under the weight, the ruler was broken. Even today, sheep are not allowed to walk on Hakka bridges. □