There have been some debates about the origin of Hakka people whether they belong to "Han" people or a minority from "Xiongnu". From most of the evidence gathered, it can be concluded that Hakkas are likely Han people rather than a derivative from the Xiongnu.

Hakka people originated in central China and gradually migrated south to flee from war and famine. There were five major migrations according to the Hakka historian Luo Xianglin:

East Jin (317 -420 AD), Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) - Due to "Wu Hu Luan Hwa"(5 barbarian intruding Zhong Hua), Hakkas originated from Shanxi moved to Henan, and then towards the Yangtze River, settling in Hubei, south Henan, Anhui, and Jiangxi.

Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) to North Song/Liao (960-1127 AD) - Particularly due to Huang Chao rebellion (880 AD), Hakkas migrated further south from Henan toward south Anhui, southeast Jiangxi, southwest Fujian and north of Guangdong.

South Song and Jin (1127-1279 AD), Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD) to Ming Dynasty (1368-1644AD) - Due to Jin invasion, Hakka migrated to north and east of Guangdong, establishing a strong influence.

Early Qing Dynasty (1644-1866AD) - Manchurians force Hakka to migrate to central Guangdong, the coastline of Guangdong, Sichuan, Guangxi, Hunan, and Taiwan.

Late Qing Dynasty (after 1867 AD) - Resulted from the defeat of Taiping Tian Guo, many Hakkas fled to Hainan Island, Guangxi, Taiwan and overseas.

Another theory (proposed by Professor Fan Qi of National Central University) traced the earliest Hakka to late Qin Dynasty. According to professor Fan, the three periods of migration and the settlements are: Qin - north Pearl River; Jin, Wu-Hu-Luan-Hua - Fujian; South Song - Nanjing to Hanzhou, Wanzhou, East Pearl River.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.