Yanyang (Meizhou city), Guangdong Province, China

🇨🇳 Yanyang (Meizhou city), China

Geographical area Yanyang (Meizhou) locates in the mountainous area of northern-east Guangdong province of China. This green town has a total area of 188 square km with a population consisting of 27 original Hakka villages and 2 communities. The forest coverage rate of Yanyang reaches 78.1%, with 14000 hectares land mainly growing evergreen broad-leaved plants, bamboo, and shrub. Especially, the forests of Subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved plants are well preserved here.

History The name "Yanyang" means Lake of Wild Goose, which can be traced back to the ancient times when the wild goose group chose to rest in its paddy fields. Now Yanyang has become a rest-place for people who want to get away from rushing city life and to take a deep breath of the fresh nature. The local residents are known as Hakkas (means guest family) with typical dialect and unique culture, whose ancestors were said to have migrated from central China thousands of years ago. The local Hakka folk songs and Han Opera that have been inherited by generations, are recognised as national intangible culture heritage.

Economy Yanyang has plenty of water and forest resource. For the ecological development, it mostly yields from the fields of tea, pomelo, and etc. Ecological village tourism is also developed in recent years in the way that the cultural historic Hakka style architecture is properly maintained, and the natural scenery of the town is well protected.

Projects Pomelo Flower Festival: The festival is held around March 20th till April 10th each year, when acres of eco-grown pomelo trees blooms. The whole mountain and villages are surrounded by the natural scent of pomelo-blossoms. It is also a fun Gala for both locals and tourists to embrace the spring.

Golden Pomelo Harvest: Yearly in November, the harvest of pomelos starts. It is the season for people to pick their own pomelos. Also the restaurants and private homes use pomelo to prepare food. From its peely skin to juicy fruit, the cooks make the most delicious cuisine with special recipes, pomelo salad, stewed pomelo skin with pork, soup with pomelo skin, and etc.

Tea Gala: A series of Tea Culture events are organized in December to carry forward the culture of Chinese tea that has five-thousand years history. People gather in the tea fields to enjoy the freshly made tea and refreshments, as well as the Hakka folk songs and dances in the magnificent landscape.