Ganzhou-Hakka Cultural City in China
4 min readOut of the history, the river and time flow! By the river, the city and civilization grow!
Joined by streams and rivulets, breaking through hills and mountains, Zhangjiang River and Gongshui River keep rushing down day and night until they meet and converge into Ganjiang River, the permanent mother river of Jiangxi.
Through ages and generations, the Great River rolls all the way to the cast, witnessing the establishment of the county Gan in B.C.201 when guanying conquered south of the Yangtze River. Thus a new page was turned in the annals of history. The surging water of Ganjiang River not only nourishes the first county at the source of the one thousand-mile-long river but also breeds the first administrative county at the source of Hakka, the golden triangle of Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong. The word”Gan”links a river,a county and a province closely together. Across the whole country, Gan is the sole name shared by a province,a county and a river, which is unique in China.
Under the leadership of the County Party Committee and County Government,550,000 Hakka people in Gan County have set up a magnificent cultural city of Hakka within one year. By taking a host attitude in celebration of the world Hakka Conference, the committee, has made a grand plan in a mighty stroke by promoting great development with an open style.
On the soaring land of China, people are moving in all directions.”While surmounting the passes and mountains, who will cry for those that lost their way?
When meeting by chance, aren’t we all visitors from a distant land?”Blood is the oot and culture is the soul.”One who has been a guest for a long time is not a guest any more. One who feels at home wherever he goes makes his home everywhere.”
But who can stop missing his motherland? And who can stop seeking his hometown?
The Hakka cultural city that exposes to the sunshine and moonlight, that assimilates the essence of the mountains and rivers, and that develops the Hakka culture and prays for its prosperity, is the very garden that the Hakka people have been awaiting.
It is a city in the hearts of the Hakka people. It is a city of Hakka. The impressive San He memorial archway, with two unicorns standing on both sides, makes it clear to all that the heaven, the earth and mankind are in harmony. Thebroad Tai Ji Square is arranged with Eight Diagrams so as to know fullness and emptiness.It also places itself in Yin and Yang to enjoy the endlessness of the universe.The solemn ancestral hall is the place where the general public gather，place their genealogies，pay their respects to the ancestors and pray for permanent prosperity.
The eastern and western areas echo each other.Stepping into the eastern area，we are tracing back to the source of Hakka.Five moving events are engraved in fivepillars telling the descendants how their ancestors came.He Yi Pavilion symbolizes the unity of Hakka people as one.Ji He Pagoda spreads the spirit of working togetherwith one heart.JiuQu Bridge leads us to a flat and wide road after we tread across a rough and rugged path.LingFei Pond reminds us of the enlightening story of Kingdom Yue paying its respect to a prime minister.The memorial temple to Senior Yang tells how he helped the poor and brought relief to the society.In Song Mao Garden，we can hear the surf of the pine trees when the wind blows.Walking into the westernarea，we are seeking the root of culture.Zhou Dunyi and Wang Yangming began their philosophy in the south of Jiangxi.The ponds are clear with the green lotuses in the water.We can also hear the surf under the banyans and understand that knowledge and action are one，and that Tianquan tells the way.The vivid and lively paintings sketch the Hakka figures in different poses with different expressions.Graceful writings are inscribed in the walls，each word a gem，assembling the embroidered pieces of literature by the Hakka celebrities.It is an exhibition of gardens and pavilions where cultural relics and literatures are collected，happiness is carried with great virtue and the civilization’s rays are radiated in all directions.Going through the area，we see different scenery when taking another step as if we were reading thegrand poetic lines extolling the Hakka Spirit，and enjoying the resounding symphonies of Hakka culture.The rosy clouds are mirrored on the mountains.The water is surging in Gongshui River.The great Hakka County is advancing with lofty aspirations vastly and mightily.The ancestors who came against the river left an old dream yesterday and now the great dream has come true.A new city has risen sharply.After seeing the whole world，we may find the scene here is unique.It is the first city of the Hakka culture in China.
