All Things Hakka at the Hehu Xinju Walled Village

The Hehu Xinju is in so many ways representative of Hakka culture in both Shenzhen and in China. In this tour of the enormous Hakka residential complex, I learned about the significance of the Luo family, who established its prominence in Shenzhen since the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty. The walled village is a feature for Hakka architecture. It serves, first and foremost, defensive purposes. It also prescribes an approximate square or rectangular layout for the village’s residential life. Meaning “crane lake villa,” Hehu Xinju is of the Luo clan of Hakka people. The walled village consists of two wall enclosures. There lie three main courts in the main axis separated by courtyards, and two rows of houses on the side. The ancestral hall lies at the very center of the whole village. Hehu Xinju spans a large area of 25,000 square meters. There are more than 300 chambers in the village. Construction for Hehu Xinju began during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty (1736-1795), and it was completed during the 22nd year of the Jiaqing reign (1817), apparently the joint effort of three generations for five decades. Some sites to visit in Hehu Xinju The half-moon lake in front of the main gate. The Daifu Residence Plaque The Former Residence of Luo Qiuhang The Yiyan School The sea mirror window The backyard #shenzhen #hehuhakkavillage #hakkaculture #guangdong #southchina #historicalsites #historicalgem #chinesehistory #hakkapeople #walledvillage #cranelakevilla #historicallandmarks#历史古迹