Current Time in Meizhou, China

Meizhou is a prefecture-level city located in the northeastern part of Guangdong Province in southern China, nestled among the mountains at the border with Fujian Province. With a population of approximately 4 million, Meizhou is widely known as the most important spiritual and cultural homeland of the Hakka people, a Han Chinese ethnic subgroup whose descendants are scattered across Asia and around the world. The city's identity, culture, and traditions are deeply shaped by Hakka heritage.

The Hakka people, whose name means guest families, were Han Chinese who migrated from the Yellow River basin of northern China to southern China in a series of historical waves over many centuries, driven by war, famine, and political upheaval. They settled in the mountainous areas of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi, maintaining distinctive cultural and linguistic traditions that set them apart from the local Cantonese and Fujianese populations. Meizhou is the undisputed heartland of Hakka culture, and the local dialect, cuisine, music, and customs are considered the most authentic expressions of Hakka identity anywhere in the world.

The Hakka World Convention, held in Meizhou periodically, draws Hakka descendants from across Southeast Asia, North America, and beyond to reconnect with their ancestral homeland. The Hakka Museum in Meizhou, one of the largest ethnographic museums dedicated to the Hakka people, provides a comprehensive overview of Hakka history, migration, art, and material culture. Traditional Hakka circular and square earthen residential buildings, similar to the tulou of Fujian, can be found in the countryside around the city.

The Lingguang Temple, perched on a cliff in Lingguang Mountain, is one of Guangdong's most sacred Buddhist temples and has been an important pilgrimage site for over a thousand years. The city also commemorates Ye Jianying, one of the founders of the People's Republic of China, who was born in Meixian County.

Meizhou cuisine is one of the most distinctive regional cuisines in Guangdong, known for its savory, braised dishes and fermented and preserved ingredients. Iconic Hakka dishes include salt-baked chicken, braised pork belly with preserved vegetables (mei cai kou rou), and various preparations using tofu. These dishes have spread far beyond the region through Hakka diaspora communities.

The city is connected to Guangzhou and Shenzhen by high-speed rail and expressways, improving accessibility. The combination of Hakka cultural significance, natural mountain landscapes, Buddhist heritage, and distinctive cuisine makes Meizhou a compelling destination for cultural travelers and an important place for the vast global Hakka diaspora to reconnect with their roots.