Shaoguan: Reviving Hakka culture through the ancient passage

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] in this episode of travelogue as part of the probe River series with visiting Shangguan city that's in the northern part of Guangdong province I'll be sampling the visual delights of picturesque mountain ventia and soaking up the cultural and historical heritage of the Hakka people the Pearl River no in Chinese as the soo-jung with its eastern western and northern tributaries it's actually a vast river system the third longest river in China and the second largest by volume and right by the eastern side of the system is the city of shell one after travelling for 10-plus hours on car and train we are family here at the badshah mountain look around us we're currently cozy on the King John River so that we can get a full view of this magnificent scenery while the tranquility of this place is better present this is only the beginning of an exciting adventure I'm going to be on travelogues and follow us for all things riveting standing on the top deck of the boat I get a panoramic view of the extraordinary register morphic mountains the line a large part of the jinzhong River this is the - I'll inform referring to a particular type of landscape consisting of layers on layers of sandstone and conglomerate [Music] inscribed as a world heritage site these formations can be seen in various parts of China here on the gene Jung I am witnessing some of mother nature's greatest work [Music] in Tanzania you know um which I wanna go Joe and I'm sitting in a new country on the happy part Indian for a second ticket young to Mason will kill for a Latina Quinta penis is bigger from here on this run given being a Hydra party in hope I'm not stingy woman technique how Talia Yojana like that's the only thing I can we haven't enough having relaxed on the water it's time to work out these legs of mine and examine the rock formations up close and that entails our height to the top of mouth densha this is such a beautiful and serene place you can hear the sound of the running waters you'll need a day to really explore this area and definitely a place to clear your mind situated among these mountains is a village called yang yin people here has an interesting belief it concerns a rock and determining the sex of a child and it's apparently been tried and tested let's go check out the next scene a spot of young village I'm on top of this platform overlooking the mountains look right behind me it speaks for itself right I don't think I need to explain anymore has a very peculiar or distinctive shape and people come here to worship this rock look out the distance what they wish for to give birth to son he sought to be the twin sister and I got your baton those whose simple cinema sits in their Zenda tonight I do it well there's young people added a lesbian chosen many video to go mmm please I'm gonna straight it why don't you might give a little bit don't you think I buy my devices a couple hmm honey happen is that leave a you idiot no Donny holy haha producing a sign may not be on my to-do list just yet by finding a place to rest my weary legs sure is have you found the answer to my burning questions about the male rock I'm off to pay a visit to a nearby Inn [Music] it's a special place founded by three major levers with an eye for beautiful things [Music] besides it's gorgeous landscape Pecha is also known for having a head full of unique ins let's go me one of the owners who is giving a creative twist to his face Wow when you walk in here you feel like you just enter in a cabin in the woods you know what's interesting about this place is you need to attend to every little detail these are life I've made with lotus leaf next to it these are elementary school windows that were thrown away I love this eco-friendly idea and also the fact that easy court very accordingly two different seasons brilliant isn't it you can pretty much call it garden to table in they grow almost all their vegetables to ensure the freshness of their ingredients I will go and see how to ice them on us on one side that's what these are I found a top producer I come on a home and fight oh you're positive okay no weekends they also some Madonna so I can't get how you mean severe attack of the disease on the mom yeah that's all you're just a panel those young and Industry bomb they show me okay which are down languishing the i dnt Zaku a my notion just handing with some see the type considerable muscle sorry so you guys skills are quite heavy Yamaha goes in high capacity along say three woman to Jordan three three two years hunting soon invited Funko I say no to the donkey no context I could sense along okay okay this is a local delicacy in shangguan and today and one is going to teach me how to make these little buns someone stole not gong - sounds good okay so just old I'm the guy that I talk today okay Tom come on you didn't come out y'all to the Ganju update today now I put a Samana this is the map to mark Hankins my tall kid that that I ever tasted wish I'm stuck in the hey how come Dean champion Stefan and my mama my did you should you have to write down on a hypothesis say our attention from her choosing this come on you're fine anything okay now could be the he'll tell me the shake my little be the team's Alma I choose she want the machine that's how want to sound the father birthday has it false Angela century it is so jelly oh nothing important job downs with Donna sounds I'll push it eating eating pushing I'm asking pop without pushing on fidelity on select it down the ban offenders or power or city to wholesome okay can with Kim says we can simmer while the chef's out working the walks in the kitchen another the ins founder yin is busy PT students a traditional weaving method if seems to involve a lot of patience and persistence so maybe I'll sit this one out what's your name I'm Ella and I'm Louisa what are you doing here obviously is this right yeah okay I've been watching you you look like you're quite good at this have you learned this before okay so you are you into art or I fight like a fan coming from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong for these guys there's much more to the experience than just basket weaving why'd you guys choose this place it's a world heritage site so effective got a lot of great culture and it's also famous for its amazing rock formations yeah yeah lots of beautiful geology so you brought them to be exposed to this traditional craft today they're doing basket weaving what do you want them to learn from this are from this hotel yes so from the trip what we're doing is we're getting in to learn more about the natural environment and also exposing them to the local culture so that they can learn more things and have a more open mind yeah do you think they're doing really well today haha they're doing okay we have some really good basket yeah being made so the N is doing a great job sharing her knowledge on how to make use amazing bounty Bosco seems like you're learning it too yes you should be making your own back here [Music] it's been an eventful day from exploring mountain shot by land and water to testing my culinary skills maybe he felt impressed in the kitchen but either way I am rewarded with these savory dishes are peacefully and beautifully displayed the art of food presentation at its best I know I'll be going to bed with happiness in the belly tonight coming up next we'll be taking you to the streets of a village that has pretty much Sun modernity we'll be visiting a no fortress with an impressive war record and sampling some rice wine that still made the traditional way good morning is a brand new day and we're commencing in a high manner literally it's currently 5:00 a.m. right now and you can see the crowd everyone's getting excited to see the Sun Rise I'm excited as well we woke up really early so we don't miss this beautiful view so let's get on with it when you catch a cable car let's go [Music] as the Sun slowly rises different hues are dispersed across a rocks of mountain shell including the peak from standing on it's called ocean and is 380 meters above sea level what are astonishing sight [Music] it was a full-on workout getting up the mountain and back down to the ground level fortunately we can have a bit of rest in the car as we head north west of town village about 20 kilometers away with more than 600 years of history sweepin is known for its POI style architecture and the Hakka people who reside in the area the great health and white wall structures give the village a unique character of its own this grand architecture represents the heyday of the historic home village which explains why a fortress with a moat surrounding it is needed to fend off bandits it also served as a haven for people during wartime I can't wait to see what's behind the six walls well I am accustomed to see more vibrant tones in Chinese architecture this subtle yet elegant blend reminds me of black-and-white movies as I walk into this fortress I almost feel like I'm travelling back in time back in the ancient days here used to be a draw vision which is the first line of defense after you pass through the state Ptolemy so this is the second line of defense in Chinese is called Wang Qing basically it's an enclosed area with defenders attack intruders from above the rectangular fortress is called Shan Shan Zhai it was built during the Qin Dynasty by a family called Li at the very end of the 19th century it took over a decade to complete this massive structure consisting of one main buildings and four watchtowers you can see that the fortress is meticulously designed for defense when system was under attack all the villagers would take refuge within these walls I have a vivid picture of that in my mind incredible as you can see this is not a traditional court your house for residential purpose people mainly came here to hide from enemies the hallway I'm currently walking on was where people slept and spend their days while the defenders were on the second floor securing the fortress there's a uniformity in the architectural style and that's not the only thing with there is similarity most of the villages here also share the same family name leave there are about 30 family-owned wineries in between these narrow alleys today we're visiting one whining in particular and the owners are about to reveal their family secret to me step by step and snow in the center of the aroma that's come to say shitty town village is known for its exquisite rice wine which has been around for over 300 years this particular variety is known as doing wha which means piles of flowers it's a reference to the foam on the wine hello I'm not gonna kiss my children even our ego and I just won so why not so funny Ciccone Oh Connie tequila Tojo nothing I got with my chosen option $27 let me give the earlier band so much Oh nollie up Angela to come being judges on boo Yong Gahan shows all of our fun in your color today Teresa no family it'll be I could be the policy daughter I think I see you aunt Lysa once the Li winemaking formula has been passed down for generations I am told achieving that full flavor taste comes down to three main factors rice yeast and water with everything being locally sourced the quality of the ingredients is not compromised in any way as if they ever think about replacing the old methods by using new machines to make the wine the answer is and he might expect an emphatic no you must be wondering why they're famous for having delicious wines well that's because they have good quality water and I'll be buzzed I've noticed that many families leave their front doors open taking that as some sort of invitation I entered [Music] this is the tradition that stood the test of time although not proven people believe that it began in the turn Meneses women back in the days would communicate ensure their stories with each other by singing when no layers involved it was clearly a way for them to express themselves that's hope you're in a good mood today [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] legend has it and a happy boy lady by the name of your chair was singing about her sorrow and man who hurt her was so moved that he wishes to life to help her escape the palace she made a way to sit hang where the so-called beauty songs were adopted by the village women [Music] why was it mrs. O'Casey gamma over time there once improvised words came to focus on the subject of family values and morality and nowadays there's a much more up B feel so much so even the youngsters are keen to take it up the hump wasn't making looking at all there sitting with no way to see me you know [Applause] sighs of all coming up next from Psalms about values to prayers about life at that head to the famed memoir temple followed by a visit to an ancient passage that channeled the destiny of the Hakka people [Music] [Applause] [Laughter] now this place is believed to have been in existence since the early 6th century at a time of the northern and southern dynasties no sooner am i through the gate then I can sense a deep respect people have to displace abortion here we are at the world-renowned nawa temple this is well trainin who is referred as a sixth patriarch once lived and spread his words is also one of the most important figures in the Chen or Zen Buddhism and people come here to worship his mummified body which has been around for over 1300 years [Music] as a leading monastery Nahuatl temple is highly regarded in the world of Buddhism claimant is closely associated with a platform Sutra of the sixth patriarch an influential scripture in Buddhist teachings dealing with sudden enlightenment and purity of mind [Music] consistent of one major ally that stretches for 1.5 kilometers there about 70 to 80 surnames here people from all corners of the world come to this ancient passage to search for their roots and also to pay respects to the ancestors back in the 8th century at the time of the Tang Dynasty GG ancient Ali became home to many families who are fleeing south to escape the war these people are known collectively as the Hakka they left their genealogical records in these houses so that any descendants who returned in later years kalenna about their family's history and fill in any missing information it's almost like a library and archive of families histories and stories saw the computers of course I find it quite touching that people continue to carry out the mission of keeping their records up to date in the course of walking up and down the stone pay path I become extremely curious about the extent of information you can taste back [Music] like I mentioned earlier people come here to find out more about their ancestors and let's check out this lighthouse hole to see what kind of stories they have reason I like that buddy ha let's analyse a house well absolutely you can't kind of handle it seems obviously that is a chance that what Peter - whoa I mean you can zhonya's its identity any installation process out let me tell you man the whole title educated everything there's a bit of time come services what kind of the music so this is somebody saw somebody on Donna Jo Nakashima Sant Antoni those are connected in cheat Island people you might have Egyptian woman tiptoes idea Jang Shifu 9oj to to polar you haven't told me why I see Biden yo yo yo yo yo jonatha Clinton Antonio - poses it no way I'm having a do for man and I got worried okay Hey omotchama TSP honey the consensus among TV song God as a TV a little Jane Gallo changes in China by 10:00 to Sunday morning as enjoyment into a rather the top without totally channel terrible name Association opinion devotion the future I took a course on emails and the other thing here having a charming little Jenny told us the people about your don't do 30 pages a Goose's of anyway like I don't need to look at this this is a book that traces back to their family history has the stories of their past based on your share and like a pony so the dimensions the hydration you means am i suppo to come title they are what's really interesting about this is they actually have already they already established what kind of means they're going to get to the descendants these are the characters that they wanted descendants to have so for example this word will be used and say his grandfather's brothers and this one will be used for his this character will be used in the Chinese name of say his father's generation very interesting what a potato I was a change in parts of a minute hey there's the 14 that means another are you got any back to these activities ICD [Music] even though most of them packed up and left centuries ago as long as you know that your ancestor once stopped here you will be able to find some hint of their existence right next to the Oh Ali lie some newly built ancestral halls which are also referred to as lineage temples like Fuji engine Ali they are designed for worshipping one's ancestors they can also be used for family gatherings and meetings as for these stone carvings you listen name the family members with outstanding educational accomplishments basically their way to praise those who make a name for themselves start on kaity entirely Liu Bei I'm not sure if I pronounced that right but you get the idea here we are at the entrance of McGann Buddha which is the shortest route between Yangtze River and sujong River it is also an extremely significant path because it made it possible for people to migrate south during wartime from Jiang Shi to Guangzhou without a Fed let's hit the path shall we this mountain passage was opened up in the Tang Dynasty in the eighth century under Chancellor named San Jolin it offered a vital link to the south especially for the ways of Hakka migrants checking from the north at various times of turmoil they're walking on the same rocky bumpy rap I can imagine the hard journey they endured [Music] it has been a remarkable journey China never ceases to amaze me the breathtaking view of the tension mountain is forever engraved on my mind I've been truly touched by the Hakka people and I've learned a lot about the hardship of the past with their architecture carrying all that with me along with my backpack we're going to head to our next destination I am Liu easily here for travelogue and I'll see you on that side in Joshi [Music]

Channel: CGTN

Views: 49,742

Rating: 4.9017015 out of 5

Keywords: CCTVNews, CGTN, Guangdong, Shaoguan, travel, culture, food, Hakka, travelogue, travelinchina, chineseculture, cantonessculture, southchina, cantonesefood, mountdanxia

Id: OHkFq3U6jLY

Length: 29min 20sec (1760 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 02 2017