Songkou Ancient Town

Songkou Ancient Town

With a history of over a thousand years, Songkou Ancient Town was established earlier than Meizhou. It is one of the initial settlements of Hakka ancestors during their southward migration. Through centuries of development, it preserves rich Hakka cultural heritage. Once a major commercial hub in eastern Guangdong, it earned the reputation of “never acknowledging the prefecture.” It was one of the first stops for Hakka people emigrating to Southeast Asia after the late Ming Dynasty and also one of the cradles of Sun Yat-sen’s Xinhai Revolution. Its Hakka mountain songs are famous both at home and abroad, while cultural relics, historic sites, and natural scenery abound. Today, this Lingnan ancient town is regaining its glory amid new urban planning and construction. Songkou, a thousand-year-old town in Meizhou, is one of the initial settlements of Hakka ancestors migrating from Fujian to Guangdong.

The scenic spots and natural landscapes of Songkou are uniquely endowed and form their own distinct layout. There are two mountains facing each other, known as “the Lion and the Elephant Guarding the Waterway,” the brown cliffs called “Red-Faced Rock,” the YuanKui Pagoda built in the late Ming Dynasty with the poetic description “peaks display heavenly beauty, waves curl before the pavilion,” and the Wen Chang Pavilion, known as “one pavilion, three deities, two names,” forming the Cool Umbrella Hill scenic area. Other sites include the 400-year-old ShiDe Hall, the AiChun Tower where Sun Yat-sen stayed during his visit to Songkou, the WuLong Bridge built during the Qing Kangxi era, and the TongPa Bridge funded by overseas Chinese, forming the TongPa Bridge scenic area. There is also the ErHe Academy, famed as an “improvised imperial palace” in the late Ming Dynasty, the改良-style Ming-Qing architecture of ShiDe New Street, the elegant and beautiful MiAn Pavilion, the ChengDe Building, a three-courtyard four-room hall-style enclosed dragon house, the WenShi JingLu, the former residence of the late Qing scholar Wen Zhonghe, the GanLu Pavilion by the river that tells the story of the Song goddess Liu Sanjie, the hometown of Qiu Ruxue, wife of Jiang Weiguo, in MaHuangPing, and the forested Mantou Nunnery in Songnan, all forming the Songkou Town scenic area. Additionally, there is the “WeiLi” enclosed dragon house shaped like a carp, built during the Song-Yuan period, and the XianKou Pagoda built in the Qing Xianfeng era, forming the XianXi scenic area. The Songnan scenic area includes the site of the “ZhiHe” merchant shop near the ancient banyan tree at HengShi, where Marshal He once lived, and the ruins of the former home of SanJinGou. The Songdong scenic area features the QingLong Temple and waterfall group nestled in the lofty mountains, as well as the terraced power stations and GouJing Stone Waterfall.

The YuanKui Pagoda, constructed in 1619 during the Ming Dynasty and completed in 1629, is a nine-story brick-and-stone pavilion-style tower. Its staircase is built inside the brick wall, only wide enough for one person to ascend or descend. Each floor has four pairs of stone windows. Upon reaching the eighth floor and stepping out onto the corridor, a breathtaking view unfolds: verdant mountains, the vast Meijiang River, the towering ancient pagoda reaching for the sky, exuding pride and grandeur. White clouds drift slowly, the blue sky meets the clear water, boats shuttle to and fro, and green rice fields and bamboo forests stretch as far as the eye can see—what a magnificent sight. Gazing up at the thousand-pound iron gourd atop the pagoda, one can’t help but wonder how it was hoisted up over 300 years ago.

The ShiDe Hall, built in 1645, covers a total area of 7,000 square meters, featuring 72 courtyards, 36 halls, 12 gate towers, 299 rooms, and 2 wells. It was established by Li Shixun (courtesy name ErHe), the teacher of the son of Emperor Chongzhen of the late Ming Dynasty, who brought the emperor’s son here to take refuge and built what was essentially an imperial prince’s palace. The unique feature of ShiDe Hall is that “three halls show no tiles”—you enter through the main gate into the first hall, then the central hall, and finally the upper hall (all three halls are separated by courtyards). On either side of the upper hall are large courtyards, each with ten rooms that once served as quarters for guards and attendants. Behind the upper hall lies a semi-circular open space where seven lychee trees were planted in the past—three still survive today, bearing fruit every May, hence nicknamed “May Reds.” Beyond the fruit trees is a spacious open area large enough for five horses to run abreast (perfect for setting up tents for camping). Passing through this area leads to a two-story enclosed dragon house consisting of 12 gate towers, each with front and back doors—the front on the first floor, the back on the second. When closed, each tower is independent; when opened, all 12 connect seamlessly (great for hide-and-seek). Outside the JinPing Tower, five watchtowers with cannons are set up on each side, extending to the main gate. The walls, made from a mixture of glutinous rice, lime, sticky clay, and sand, are incredibly solid, showcasing the formidable defenses. The rare architectural style of ShiDe Hall attracts visitors from China and abroad, especially art and architecture students, for sketching and study tours. Passing the watchtowers and descending the steps through an orange grove, you’ll find a tranquil bamboo forest. The Songyuan River meanders nearby, with a small uninhabited island in the middle. Here, surrounded by endless green bamboo and the gentle flow of the river, with birds chirping and insects buzzing, sipping a cup of Hakka mountain tea or sweet wine, you’ll feel as if you’ve entered a paradise on earth.

The ChongQing Mansion, also known as “GuXiuJie,” was built in the early 1940s. It was jointly funded by several families, who entrusted Gu XiuJie to manage the construction. Workers would come to him for materials and wages, so locals naturally started calling the building “Gu XiuJie.” The entire house and pond are built with cement and granite, featuring 10 courtyards, 9 halls, 73 rooms, and 2 wells. The three characters “ChongQing Mansion” were inscribed by Zhu Ruzhen, the second-place scholar in the late Qing Dynasty’s imperial examination. Entering through the main gate, you’ll find the lower, middle, and upper halls. The paintings on the beams of these halls are breathtaking, with exquisite brushwork and lifelike figures. Behind the upper hall lies a semi-circular open space that once held a two-story enclosed dragon house, while the orchard behind the house mirrors this shape, corresponding to the semi-circular fishpond at the front gate. In the morning, the house reflects on the pond’s surface like a still ink painting—until a few native ducks (known as “Fan” in Hakka, resembling ducks with lean but tender meat, a local specialty) leisurely wade into the pond, their red feet rippling the green water, as if a divine brushstroke has brought the painting to life.

The ChengDe Building, constructed in 1908 and completed in 1918, has 18 courtyards, 48 halls, and 108 rooms. The lower, middle, and upper halls are adorned with carved beams and painted rafters. Unlike other enclosed dragon houses, the ChengDe Building features 6-meter-high stone pillars in the central hall, giving the space an especially grand atmosphere. Above the side door of the central hall, intricate carvings are accompanied by rows of pictographic characters. The ChengDe Building enjoys high prestige locally because its owners provided it to Songkou Middle School as classrooms and dormitories for half a century. It was also the former residence of the renowned overseas Chinese Liang Mi’an, who was awarded the “JingYiZhuang” (Certificate of Merit) by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the early Republic of China. (In ZhongShan Park, built in 1933 in Songkou Town to commemorate Sun Yat-sen’s visit, stands the Mi’an Pavilion, which houses the “JingYiZhuang” and inscriptions from Chiang Kai-shek, Yu Youren, Chen Lifu, Lin Sen, and others during the wartime period.)

The QinYi Manor, also known as “Xie TianChang,” was built during the Qing Tongzhi era, about 107 years ago. It has 8 courtyards, 10 halls, and 87 rooms, covering a total area of 4,295 square meters, with a built-up area of 3,200 square meters. Entering through the outer gate of QinYi Manor, you’ll find a spacious courtyard. Passing through the inner gate inscribed with “ZhaoWu Mansion” and the second gate labeled “ZhaoWu Capital Prefecture,” you’ll reach the lower and upper halls. The founding ancestor, Xie Tingguang, was granted the title of ZhaoWu Capital Prefect, and his wife She was conferred the honorific title of GongRen by Emperor Tongzhi in October of the 11th year of his reign—a decree that is fully preserved in the upper hall (also known as BaoShu Hall). She became a widow at 38 and made a living by running a rice shop called “Xie TianChang.” Thanks to her capable management, life improved, and she personally led her family in carrying water and stones to build this house. Her children all achieved success in their respective fields, embodying the Hakka women’s spirit of hard work, thrift, supporting their husbands, raising children, enduring hardship, and fostering harmonious community relations—values that continue to shine through to this day.