Deep Within the Weilong: Three Centuries of Hakka in Meizhou

The Long History of the Weilong Houses: Three Centuries of Hakka in Meizhou focuses on nearly three hundred years of historical change among the Hakka people of Meizhou. At its heart is a weilong house, a home that holds generations of family memories and local culture, which provides the thread connecting the struggles, traditions, and perseverance of the Hakka people on this land.

The story begins during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in the Qing dynasty, when a group of Hakka ancestors migrated to Meizhou after a long and difficult journey. Carrying the imprint of Central Plains culture, they reclaimed farmland in the unfamiliar mountains of Lingnan, and with their ingenuity and hard work built the first weilong house, establishing a distinctive way of life. The novel centers on the fictional Hakka clan, the Zhong family, and traces the fortunes of several generations to portray the defining qualities of Hakka culture: valuing farming and education, cherishing unity, and upholding ancestral teachings. It depicts ancestors laboring to build a family legacy, descendants studying hard in hopes of earning distinction, the warmth of clan members standing together through calamity, and the pain of tradition clashing with new ideas as the times change.

From the details of building a weilong house to the lilting melodies of Hakka folk songs, from the customs surrounding weddings and funerals to the family tradition of honoring literature and education, the novel paints a vivid picture of Hakka life in Meizhou and its spiritual core against a sweeping historical backdrop. It is both a history of a family's rise and decline and a paean to the inheritance of Hakka culture, allowing readers to feel the enduring vitality and rich cultural heritage of this land in every line.

Theme: Hakka