In my childhood, I frequently heard from my grandfather stories about our ancestral home in Meixian, China. It was my dream that one day I will pay a visit to Meixian. Finally this trip was materialized. Together with my sisters and brother we spent few days traveling throughout Hakka regions, Meizhou and Meixian in Guangdong province and Longyan and Yongding in Fujian province. To Mr. Ye Hua Nen and Ye (Yap) family and all the staff at Yearning (Yen Nan Fei) Resorts, thank you very much for your hospitality during our stay. Special thanks also to our 5th and 6th uncles and their famalies for organizing this unforgettable journey for us.

A little background about HAKKA people as described in Wikipedia:

The Hakka (客家) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian in China. Their ancestors were originated from what's today's central China, around the Yellow River. In a series of migrations, the Hakkas who moved, settled in their present locations in southern China, and then migrated overseas to various nations throughout the world. The Hakka have had a significant influence on the course of Chinese and overseas Chinese history: In particular, they have been a source of revolutionary, political and military leaders, not surprising as Hakkas as a people are well travelled inside and outside of China.

http://www.meizhou.gov.cn/zwgk/rdzt/qxgy/


桥溪村位于雁南飞茶田以东4公里的阴那山五指峰西麓，现有人口223人，常住人口60多人，海外华侨三胞达6000多人，是个名副其实的侨乡，村里朱、陈两姓人家，自明朝末年开始，世代联姻。顺着长教村旁的指示牌左拐，记者一行朝桥溪村进发。行进间，记者随意向车窗外张望，发现右手边竟是深度达300多米的大峡谷，峡谷两边的山崖上绿树成荫，山花灿烂，让人突然有种下车漫步欣赏的冲动。这，可是“客家桃源”给游客的“开胃菜”？

车子一直往山里开，路旁是小溪，以前这溪水被称为“叩头溪”，据说在1995年以前，进入桥溪村只能走山路，山路特别崎岖，除了上坡就是下岌，走起路来一叩一叩的，像磕头一样。而另一种说法，是相传当年明太子朱慈在李自成 攻破京城、崇祯皇帝自杀后逃到桥溪村，当时的地方官员沿着溪边的路三叩九拜，前来拜见他，故称此为叩头溪。村子遥遥在望，风景愈发纯净，溪流变窄，遍布圆滚滚的石头，两岸及石间姜花蔓生，一路可见溪间点缀着娇嫩的白花，花香四溢；清澈的溪流中不时可见欢腾的小鱼，这份宁静与美丽，仿佛把喧嚣抛在村外……

将车开进停车场，老村干部新叔已等在那。漫步进村，只见村庄四面环山，东面五指峰，南面笠鸃顶，西面义安寨，北面香炉峰，峰峦叠嶂、奇峰秀顶，山上是苍翠的树林，举目望去，满眼盎然绿意，令人心旷神怡……新叔指着村口溪边一簇林木告诉记者，桥溪村建村五百余年，这簇林木却已有上千年历史，当地人称之为“五彩林”。这儿有五个树种，分别是楠木、檀木、山杜英、青蓝木和荷木，其中楠木有三棵，其余树种各一棵，荷木枯死后，村民补种上一棵将军木。从前桥溪村有四所学校，有一所选址于此，取“五子登科”之意，同时，也反映了桥溪村崇文重教之风的浓厚。

踩着不知几代人走过的古老石径，记者一行细细探寻这个著名古村落的韵味。“逢山必有客，无客不居山”，只见村内各种形式的客家民居建筑林立，或依山就势，或筑台傍水，错落有致，每座古建筑之间以石结路连接，房前屋后种着果树、蔬菜，记者随手从屋前一棵李树上摘下一颗青李，放进口中轻咬，一股淡淡的酸味，让人不仅想到了童年到老家后山摘李子的快乐时光。一些老屋没有住人，但却住着蜜蜂，一个个蜂箱摆放在屋后、池塘边，无数的蜜蜂围着蜂箱进进出出，见有人来，也不慌乱，自在得很。“这里的土地大部分被租赁给雁南飞茶田种茶，每年除了收取固定的租地费用外，村民还有管理茶园的收入，村民另外的经济收入来源是养蜂和各种林产品。”新叔告诉记者，桥溪村自然环境优越，没有污染，周围无论是野生还是人工种植的果树都多，因而适合养蜂，养殖大户一年能收1500斤左右蜂蜜。难怪，村里梯田叠叠，种的却大都是茶。

站在该村高处俯瞰全村，只见桥溪村环山碧绿，层林尽染；村中古树婆娑，石径阡陌，石垒梯田叠叠，袅袅炊烟，果园飘香；山涧溪中怪石嶙峋，沟壑交错，清泉淙淙，古老的山村展现出一幅客家民俗风情画卷，漫步徜徉村中，恍如身处世外桃源，令人流连忘返。


Copyright © Richard Chu

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