The Wisdom Derived from the Great Migration: Hakka Medicine - The Unique Medical Epic of the Hakka People
- Written by Media Outreach
MEIZHOU, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 1 December 2025 - From November 23rd to 25th, the 7th World Hakka Conference was held in Meizhou, Guangdong. With the theme "Gathering Global Hakka Businesspeople to Foster High-Quality Development," the conference adhered to the principles of "openness, innovation, cooperation, and win-win," providing a platform to explore new opportunities in Hakka culture and industrial development. At this globally anticipated event, Guangdong Jiaying Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. showcased star products such as "Shuangliao Houfeng San" (Double Ingredient Throat Wind Relief Powder), "Gujing Shenrong Wan" (Solid Essence Ginseng and Antler Pill), and "Longnao Gao" (Borneol Ointment), highlighting the unique charm of Hakka medicine to the world. In the Lingnan region of southern China, there exists a cultural code infused with the herbal aroma of the Central Plains, Hakka traditional Chinese medicine, quietly preserved by Hakka people around the world. The development of Hakka medicine is essentially a history of Hakka migration, a history of cultural fusion, and a history of north-south exchange. It merges medical theories from the Central Plains with southern flora, the medicinal knowledge of ethnic minorities, and overseas demand, forming a unique system characterized by "north-south integration, a combination of prevention and treatment, and integration of theory and practice." Throughout the five major migrations in Chinese history, Hakka ancestors integrated ancient Central Plains medical theories with the vitality of southern plants in the Lingnan region, giving rise to the distinct Hakka traditional Chinese medicine known as Hakka Medicine. Today, represented by the century-old heritage of the "holy medicine for throat disorders," Shuangliao Houfeng Powder, Hakka Medicine serves not only as an effective remedy but has also extended from the vast land of China to pharmacies overseas, becoming an important cultural link for Hakka people around the world. Origins of Hakka Medicine: Blended Medical Wisdom of the North and the South Derived from Migration In 311 AD, during the "Disaster of Yongjia" that struck the Western Jin dynasty, war swept across the Central Plains. Aristocrats and commoners were forced to migrate southward in what history calls the "garments and headdresses moving south". This marked the first large-scale migration of the Hakka people and the beginning of the southward transmission of Central Plains medical culture. Carrying classical medical texts such as the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor and Shen-nong's Herbal Classics, Hakka ancestors embarked on their journey and integrated this knowledge with the flora and medical skills of the South. During the late Tang period, the An Lushan Rebellion and the Huang Chao Uprising triggered a second migration wave, sending Hakka groups into the mountainous regions of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi. Confronted with humid weather and epidemic miasma, they no longer relied solely on traditional Central Plains medicinal herbs but instead ventured deep into the mountains, combining southern herbal resources with classical medical theory. In the late Song and early Yuan dynasties, the southward military campaigns of the Jin armies prompted the third migration, which led Hakka communities to settle in eastern and northern Guangdong. To adapt to the southern environment, they incorporated herbal knowledge into daily life. The "Sanjidi Soup", made from wolfberry leaves, pig liver, and lean meat, served both as a daily dish and a remedy for clearing heat and dispelling dampness; mugwort herbal baths became a tradition for preventing colds. This wisdom of "medicine and food sharing the same origin" allowed traditional medicine to become fully embedded in Hakka life. During the fourth migration in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, known as "Huguang Fills Sichuan", the Hakka carried medicinal seeds and planting techniques into Sichuan. In the Luoxiao Mountains of eastern Hunan, they cultivated medicinal crops such as ramie and indigo, which became a gateway to gaining a foothold in the local community. After the Taiping Rebellion in the late Qing dynasty, the fifth migration sent Hakka communities to Southeast Asia, spreading traditional Chinese medicine throughout the region. In 1799, advertisements for traditional Chinese medicines appearing in American newspapers already showed traces of Hakka remedies; today, Hakka formulas remain a familiar sight in Southeast Asian pharmacies, bearing witness to this chapter of migration history. These five migrations are like five strands of silk, connecting medical theories of the Central Plains with southern flora, ethnic minority knowledge, and overseas needs, weaving the unique Hakka medical system of "north-south integration, a combination of prevention and treatment, and integration of theory and practice." Surveys show that Meizhou alone is home to over 1,800 species...

