Ninghua Hakka Ancestral Land

Ninghua Hakka Ancestral Land

The Ninghua Hakka Ancestral Land is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Ninghua Hakka Ancestral Land in Ninghua County, Sanming City, Fujian Province, is the ancestral temple of all Hakka people, the spiritual homeland, and pilgrimage center for the global Hakka community. In 1992, following proposals from overseas and domestic descendants of the Hakka people, such as Yao Meiliang, and with the strong support of the county government, construction began on the Hakka Ancestral Hall. The project had a total investment of 8.9 million yuan, covering an area of 12,000 square meters, and was completed in 1995, hosting the inauguration ceremony of the Shibi Hakka Ancestral Hall and the first World Hakka Convention at the Shibi Ancestral Land. Due to the rapidly growing number of Hakka descendants from around the world seeking their roots and paying homage to their ancestors each year, the original scale could no longer meet the demand. The Ninghua County Government re-planned the development of the Hakka Ancestral Land. In October 2010, construction began on the main sacrificial axis of the Haixi Hakka Ancestors' Cultural Park, covering an area of about 73,000 square meters. Key features included a sacrificial square, the Suyuan Bridge, a gathering plaza, corridors, an expansion of the Hakka Ancestral Hall, and various cultural projects, with a total investment of 130 million yuan. The project was completed and put into use in October 2012, and hosted the sacrificial ceremony during the 25th World Hakka Convention at the Shibi Ancestral Land. In June 2013, it was approved by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council as a Cross-Strait Exchange Base. In 2014, it successfully hosted the "20th World Hakka Shibi Ancestral Ceremony" and the "7th Cross-Strait Hakka Forum." In April 2014, it was rated as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, receiving nearly 100,000 visitors annually. It has hosted 21 consecutive World Hakka Shibi Ancestral Ceremonies and welcomed nearly 5,000 leaders, experts, and scholars from central, provincial, and municipal governments and departments. It is a renowned Hakka cultural tourism destination that the Ninghua County Party Committee and County Government are committed to developing into a world-class brand.

The Ninghua Shibi Hakka Ancestral Land is located at the eastern foot of the Wuyi Mountains, on the border between Fujian and Jiangxi, in Shibi Village, 22 kilometers west of Ninghua County (approximately ten kilometers via the new road). “The Great Locust Tree is in the north, and Shibi Village is in the south.” Shibi is the cradle of the Hakka people and their ancestral land. According to the General Genealogy of the He Clan in China, He Ziyuan, a founding father of the Xinhai Revolution and a pioneer of modern education in China, was the 19th-generation descendant of Niansilang Gong (Yuanmei Gong), the founding ancestor of the He Clan in Ninghua’s Shibi, who migrated south to Meizhou. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, every Qingming Festival and Double Ninth Festival, descendants of the He family and other Hakka groups living in Chaozhou and Meizhou, among others, would trek back to the Hakka ancestral land of “Shibi” to trace their roots and worship their ancestors.

The ancient inhabitants of Shibi were originally Han people from the Central Plains. Historical research indicates that starting from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, due to wars, famines, military conflicts, and government resettlement policies throughout Chinese history, large numbers of Han people from the Central Plains migrated southward with their families. During the Tang and Song dynasties, these migrating Han people converged in Shibi. Ancient Shibi was a vast basin surrounded by mountains, with fertile soil and dense forests. Viewed from above, it resembled a green barrier, hence it was historically known as the “Jade Screen.” Amid this “safe haven,” the migrating Han people reclaimed land, thrived, and gradually interacted and integrated with local indigenous inhabitants, giving birth to the profound Hakka culture, forming a unique Hakka ethnic group, and fostering a resilient, hardworking, and pioneering Hakka spirit. From then on, the Hakka people and their descendants used this place as a new starting point, stepping firmly across the southern regions, reaching as far as the Central Plains, and later venturing overseas to all five continents. Today, 120 million Hakka descendants are spread across more than 80 countries and regions. One-third of Hong Kong’s Chinese population are Hakka, and one-fifth to one-quarter of Taiwan’s population are Hakka. In mainland China, apart from Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangdong provinces, there are also significant Hakka populations in Hunan, Guangxi, Sichuan, and other provinces. Overseas, there are many Hakka communities in Southeast Asian countries, Australia, the United States, Canada, and more. Many Hakka people worldwide claim that their first ancestor originated from Ninghua’s Shibi, making it the ancestral home and birthplace of Hakka culture.

The Hakka ethnic group is a branch of the Han people, originating from the Central Plains. Due to warfare, large numbers of Han people left their homes and migrated to the region centered around Ninghua’s Shibi, at the junction of Fujian and Jiangxi. The Hakka people who settled in Ninghua or Shibi came from over 50 counties across eight provinces, indicating that they were previously scattered and had not yet formed a distinct ethnic group. There were two main reasons why Hakka people from all directions gathered in Ninghua (Shibi): first, natural conditions. Shibi is a flat basin spanning 200 square kilometers, with fertile land that provided excellent living conditions. The majority of Hakka people arrived via Jiangxi. The Wuyi Mountains separate the Fujian-Jiangxi border, and the mountain pass from Shicheng to Shibi is lower than other passes in the region, making transportation more convenient. Additionally, Ninghua is the source of the Min River, Gan River, and Han River, offering accessible waterway transport. Second, human factors. Ninghua, especially Shibi, was developed earlier, and the region had enjoyed social stability without warfare before the Southern Song Dynasty. When Huang Chao’s rebel army swept from north to south, entering Fujian and Guangdong from Jiangxi and Zhejiang, and then heading back north to Jiangxi, it bypassed Ninghua after a long detour, leaving it as a “land of peace.” As Chen Yundong wrote in his book The Hakka People, “Ninghua in Fujian, adjacent to southern Jiangxi and surrounded by high mountains to the northwest, resembles a paradise, making it the safest refuge at the time. Therefore, most of the refugees chose to settle in Ninghua.” The Hakka people who relocated to areas centered around Shibi thrived for centuries in this stable environment. They blended the culture and language of the Han people from the Central Plains with those of the local inhabitants, creating a unique culture and language that retained ancient Central Plains elements while evolving anew. This distinct culture and language set them apart from other Han ethnic groups and became known as Hakka culture and the Hakka language, forming the Hakka ethnic group. Research shows that the Hakka ethnic group took shape during the Song Dynasty. Ninghua is a Hakka region, not only showcasing typical Hakka culture and language but also being the birthplace of many such cultural elements that then spread to other Hakka areas. Within Ninghua, the continuity and evolution of Hakka culture and language are clearly evident. Ninghua (or Shibi) is referred to not only as the “central region where the Hakka ethnic group was formed” but also as the “cradle of Hakka culture and language.”

Historical records indicate that there were over 130 surnames among the Hakka ancestors who once settled in Shibi (or other parts of Ninghua). Their descendants have since established themselves around the world, producing numerous accomplished individuals who have achieved remarkable success through innovation and dedication. The Hakka people have long upheld traditional virtues such as patriotism, love for their hometowns, reverence for ancestors, and respect for lineage. Since the reform and opening-up era, a wave of “Hakka root-seeking” has swept across the globe. Since the inauguration of the Hakka Ancestral Hall in 1995, the “World Hakka Shibi Ancestral Ceremony” has been held annually, with October designated as the “Ancestral Month.” During the ceremony, numerous Hakka compatriots from home and abroad travel thousands of miles to trace their roots, gather in Shibi, and worship their ancestors together in a grand ceremony. The ritual consists of five parts: ancestral birthday rites, ceremonial processions, music and dance, officiants, and formal procedures. Participants then consult genealogical records and other historical materials, sample Hakka rice wine and Shibi pounded tea, and enjoy performances of Hakka folk songs and dances. The ceremony is solemn, grand, classical, rich in folk artistry, and deeply rooted in Hakka heritage. The Shibi Hakka Ancestral Land has hosted 270,000 visitors from 19 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China, as well as 24 countries and regions overseas, including 207 overseas root-seeking delegations and over 80 overseas Hakka associations. The Shibi Hakka Ancestral Land is increasingly becoming a pilgrimage center for Hakka people worldwide.

Shibi Town: Located in the western part of Ninghua County, 17 kilometers from the county seat, historically known as the Jade Screen, it was renamed Shibi in the mid-Tang Dynasty. The town covers an area of 136.5 square kilometers, with 31,900 mu of arable land and 148,700 mu of forested land. It administers 22 administrative villages, 1 neighborhood committee, 242 villager groups, and has a total population of 37,266. The town government is located in Hekou Village.

Shibi Town is home to the world-renowned Hakka Ancestral Land. Since 1995, it has successfully hosted 21 editions of the World Hakka Shibi Ancestral Ceremony, attracting participants from five continents and over 100… More details about Shibi Town++