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梅州Southern China24.29° N · 116.12° E
A quiet city in the hills of north-eastern Guangdong, often called the capital of the Hakka world. Here is how to see its round houses and enclosed dragon homes, and how to link it with the Fujian Tulou.
Meizhou sits on the Mei River among the green hills of north-eastern Guangdong. It is widely regarded as a heartland of the Hakka, a Han Chinese people known for their own dialect, cooking and strong clan traditions, and many Hakka families overseas trace their roots to this area. The city itself is modest, but the countryside around it is full of large family houses built to shelter whole clans.
The most characteristic are the weilongwu, or enclosed dragon houses: horseshoe-shaped compounds with a pond in front and a crescent of rooms behind. There are also round and square fortified houses, such as Hua'e Lou in Dabu County. Meizhou suits travellers interested in architecture, family history and rural Guangdong, and pairs naturally with the Fujian Tulou across the provincial border.
Our Meizhou journeys are private and tailor-made, often including Hakka roots visits and the Fujian Tulou, with your own guide and driver.
We tailor every trip. Want more time in Meizhou, a different pace or a mix of places? Design my trip →
The experiences our travellers enjoy most, in order of what we would not miss.
Visit weilongwu compounds in the villages around Meizhou, with their half-moon ponds, central ancestral halls and curved rear wings. Your guide explains how clans lived and worshipped together.
One of the best-known Hakka round houses in Guangdong, a ring of rooms around an open courtyard, about 2 hours by road from Meizhou and worth a half-day visit.
A good first stop in the city, introducing Hakka migration, language, customs and architecture, which gives useful context for the village houses you see later in the trip.
Explore villages near the city with restored Hakka mansions, quiet lanes and clan halls, including grand houses built with money sent home by relatives working overseas.
Try salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu, braised pork with preserved mustard greens and local pomelos. The food is simple, rich and very different from Cantonese cooking.
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Customise My TripHigh-speed trains connect Meizhou with Guangzhou, Shenzhen and the coast. Meixian Airport has a small number of domestic flights. The villages and round houses are spread over a wide area, so a private car is the practical way to explore.
Places that pair well with Meizhou, with approximate travel times.
Autumn, from October to December, is dry, mild and ideal for village visits. Spring is green and pleasant though often rainy. Summer is hot, humid and wet, and Lunar New Year brings families home to their ancestral villages, which is lively but busy.
A general guide. Weather varies from year to year, and we plan each route around the season.
Quick answers from our local team. Anything else, just ask your travel specialist.
Ask us on WhatsAppHakka round houses are large fortified homes built by clans, with thick outer walls and rings of rooms facing an inner courtyard. They offered protection and a shared space for whole extended families. The most famous are the Fujian Tulou, but the Meizhou area also has round houses such as Hua'e Lou in Dabu County.
Yes. The Yongding tulou clusters in western Fujian are about two and a half to three hours by road, so they can be visited on a long day trip or, better, with an overnight stay near the houses. Combining Meizhou and the tulou gives a full picture of Hakka architecture.
We can plan a private visit around your family's village if you have details such as a surname, village or county name, ideally in Chinese characters. Your guide can help with directions and conversation with local people. We cannot guarantee records or relatives will be found, but many visitors find the experience very moving.
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