About Hakka people
Meaning "guest families", the Hakka (or Kejia in Putonghua) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian and Taiwan. Their ancestors were often said to have arrived from northern China or central China centuries ago.
In a series of migrations since the Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420) because of social unrest, upheaval, and the invasion of foreign conquerors, the Hakkas moved and settled in their present locations in southern China, and then migrated overseas to various nations throughout the world. The total population of Hakka people is estimated to be 30 to 45 million worldwide.
The Hakka dialects across various provinces differ phonologically, but the Hakka dialect of Guangdong province's Meixian county is considered the archetypal spoken form of the language.
Due to their agrarian lifestyle, the Hakka have a unique architecture based on defense and communal living, and a hearty savory cuisine based on an equal balance between texturised meat and fresh vegetables.
In Taiwan, Hakka people comprise about 15 percent of the population and are descended largely from Guangdong: They form the third largest group on the island. Many Hakka moved to lands high up in the hills or remote mountains to escape political persecution, and many continue to live in these hilly locations of Taiwan.
Many famous people have been Hakka, including political leaders such as Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew, and entertainers such as Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing and Chow Yun-Fat.
China Daily
(China Daily 04/11/2008 page18)
