Title: On the Fate of Hakka Culture under Rapid Social Changes:——A Comparison of Hakka Cultural Integration in Sichuan and Hong Kong
Abstract: Hakka in Hong Kong and Sichuan both originated from the Hakka in Fujian,Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces,with their respective ancestors having migrated to these two places at about the same time during the early Qing Dynasty.Having entered Sichuan,the Hakka grew in population and economic strength and,beginning in the mid-Qing,their descendants gradually moved toward urban areas.The subsequent 150 years saw Sichuan society under continual change,and its urbanization and industrialization has had tremendous impact on Hakka's traditional life style and culture,especially since the 1950s.As to the Hakka in Hong Kong,they constructed their villages for settlement.Since the 1960s,these villages have integrated into the modern city in the flood of rapid urban expansion.At present,Sichuan Hakka,especially those residing in the Dongshan hinterland,Chengdu,on a development trail similar to that of Hong Kong Hakka,are losing their traditional culture and language.This paper compares and contrasts the Shahe Hakka community on the outskirts of Chengdu and Hakka villages in Yuanlang of the New Territories in Hong Kong,with special reference to the background of their respective urban settlements,their adaptation in a new environment and subsequent changes after migration.It also analyses cultural similarities and differences of the Hakka in Sichuan and Hong Kong,and effects of urbanization on both of them.Based on the above analysis,the authors try to search for a solution in preserving Hakka cultural heritage under rapid social changes during the process of global economic integration.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot