Secluded Primitive Attraction: Meizhou Huake Building

Huake Building, hidden in Lianfeng Village, Dadong Town, Dapu County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, has a history of more than 410 years. It was built in the 36th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1608), resembling the calyx of a flower. It is a Hakka-style circular fortified building and is the most completely preserved earthen round building. This is a Hakka earth building in Guangdong. Behind the Huake Building is the Tiger-shaped Mountain, and in front is the Meitan River, with beautiful scenery. The Huake Building covers an area of 2,300 square meters, with a construction area of 2,286 square meters. It is a circular building made of earth and wood structures, with three floors distributed in a circular ring shape. The first floor has 30 rooms, the second floor has 60 rooms, and the third floor has 120 rooms, totaling 210 rooms, with a height of 11.9 meters. After the owner Lin Yuanyu built this earthen fortified building, he took in all the villagers who had no houses to live in. The architectural style of the Huake Building is similar to the earth buildings in the neighboring county of Pinghe (Zhangzhou, Fujian), which are both unitary and have internal corridors, combining the characteristics of both Southern Fujian and Hakka earth buildings. This is a Hakka earth building known for its pebble stones! The public ground of the Huake Building is almost 100% paved with pebble stones. These pebble stones have been trampled and polished for more than four hundred years, covered with a layer of patina from the years, and their luster is like beautiful agate. Currently, the earliest discovered round earth building with a clear chronology is the Qiyun Building. Qiyun Building was built in the 18th year of Wanli (1590). Next to the entrance of the Huake Building, there is a standing stone embedded in the wall, inscribed with 'Wanli Zhu Yongtuo Beach Year Xuan Yue Li'. 'Wanli Zhu Yongtuo Beach Year Xuan Yue' refers to 'September of the Wanli Wushen year', which is the 36th year of Wanli (1608). According to this, it is known that the Huake Building was built only 18 years later than the Qiyun Building. Such an ancient round earth building, even in Fujian, can be said to be one of the earliest. The Huake Building is located at the junction of Guangdong and Fujian, near Zhangzhou, Fujian. Between the overlapping mountains, the mountain roads are winding, but fortunately, the road conditions have now been improved, making self-driving more convenient. This is a very worthwhile place to travel and explore the history of the Hakka people.