Songkou Ancient Town [Photo/visitgd.com]
Songkou Ancient Town, situated at the junction of Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, used to be a business hub, and the first stop for Hakka people heading for Nanyang (an old name for Southeast Asia).
Situated beside mountains and rivers, the town in Guangdong's Mezhou city is an original residence for Hakka ancestors migrating from Fujian to Guangdong, the town is rich in Nanyang culture. So Songkou's architecture features a combination of Chinese and western styles. As early as in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, western-style buildings had been built in the town.
Songkou Port was once the second largest port of the inland rivers of Guangdong. With its rich Hakka history and culture, the town has become a cultural hub for overseas Chinese and traditional folk songs.