Fujian is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse Chinese provinces, with dialects like China Min, Hokkien, Hakka, Fujianese, and Fuzhou. It is said that every 10 kilometers you drive in this area, the language, as well as the local customs and culture, completely change. This is owed to the waves of migrations to the province. Its mountainous landscape acts as containment zones for each culture besides being a destination for internal migrants over the centuries. Fujianese are famous for being migrants themselves; they make up the majority of the Southeast Asian Chinese diaspora whether they ethnically identify as Hakka, Hokkien, or the practically innumerable other groups from Fujian. When the Qing conquered Taiwan from the Ming loyalists in 1683, Fujian in Taiwan became one province, so Taiwan was predominantly peopled by Hokkien immigrants from Southern Fujian. To this day, the Taiwanese iteration of traditional Chinese culture is a reflection of this particular region’s customs.
Comments 0