Source of the Han River

Source of the Han River

“Source of the Han River” is a stone sculpture of a mother carrying a boy on her back and holding a girl’s hand. It is located by the Han River at the confluence of the Mei River, Ting River, and Meitan River. The sculpture symbolizes the close ties between Meizhou’s Dabu County — a scenic hub of Hakka culture and known as the cultural gem of the world’s Hakka homeland — and the Chaoshan Plain, as both regions are separated only by a narrow strip of water and share the same life-giving river. It also expresses the hope that Meizhou and the Chaoshan area will enhance communication and strengthen external exchanges and cooperation as they work towards building a moderately prosperous society. The massive stone mother figure stands 9.8 meters tall and weighs 136 tons. The structure consists of a base platform and the stone sculpture. The base is a nine-ring stone-paved platform, with seasonal flowers and plants planted along the inner edge of each ring, setting the mother sculpture amidst a blossoming garden. The platform surface is paved with hexagonal, honeycomb-patterned cement bricks, edged with carved stone railings. Three radiating stone stairways lead up to the waterside terrace. The stone mother is depicted wearing her hair in a bun, carrying a boy on her back and holding a girl’s hand — reflecting an old Hakka saying: “Tie up your hair and be a winner, support your husband and raise children to manage a household well.”