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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Hakka settlement in the middle ground

with this small group, providing a more insightful and
detailed understanding of local conditions. The interviews
investigated the historical information of the Hakka
settlements, their infrastructure networks, the sociocultural
factors that have influenced changes in architectural forms,
and how these factors have shaped the present settlement
morphology. Participant observation was also conducted
with the typical informant to document specific family
dwellings and inhabitant activities as an elaborated example.
This participant observation was carried out over a 2-week
period in June 2021.
4. Findings

4.1. Rural features of traditional Hakka settlements
Family structure and kinship are crucial sociocultural
factors closely associated with house forms (Rapoport,
1969), particularly within clan-centered societies like the
Hakka. The clan society, which developed as a consequence
of the paddy economy (Freedman, 2021), has led Hakka
people to prefer living in clan clusters. Large, collective
Figure 5. Geographic location of the study area. Source: Drawing by the Hakka settlements were designed to benefit the entire clan.
authors
In this context, the Hakka settlement is not merely a village
2021 and 2023 in an exploratory manner. Although but also an independent collective housing arrangement
diachronic studies effectively contribute to morphological that integrates housing units with ancestor halls, reflecting
research from a temporal perspective (Moudon, 1994; the strong clan-centered community (Figure 6). These
van Oostrum, 2018), the Hakka settlements examined Hakka rural architectures belong to a vernacular typology
in this research have been undergoing transformations known as Wei Long Wu, a type of walled Hakka village.
since before the availability of satellite imagery, but In the Wei Long Wu, the ancestor hall is central to village
related historical documentation is limited. This research, life, serving not only for ritual activities but also as a venue
therefore, adopted a synchronic approach, using a for weddings, funerals, and other daily social interactions.
comparison of streets, plots, and buildings – common Therefore, it becomes a sacred and communal space within
units in urban morphology research. In this research, the clan family. Simultaneously, Fengshui principles play a
the three units are contextualized as settlement fabric, significant role in site selection and spatial organization,
dwellings, and street markets, and these are embedded such as Fu Yin Bao Yan (负阴抱阳) (Katayama, 2011; Lin,
within a case study. 1995; Wu, 2018).
Following Yin’s (2018) recommended data sources A traditional Hakka settlement is characterized by
for case studies, this research employed documentation, its nucleated cluster, based on its original self-sufficient
interviews, and participant observation to collect evidence model. For instance, He Xin Wu is the second-largest
during the fieldwork. Specifically, on-site drawings, Hakka village in the area, with a history of 300 years. In
measurements, and photographs were used to document the 1679, the He family migrated from Meizhou and initially
condition of the study area. To gain a deeper understanding settled in Jin Zhu Yuan, 1 km from present-day He Xin
of the local context and encourage villagers to share their Wu. As the He family grew, they relocated and built a new
life experiences, six open-ended interviews were conducted fortified village, the present He Xin Wu, in 1724, following
with four interviewees during the participant observation Fengshui principles. He Xin Wu is a typical Wei Long Wu,
period. These interviewees included a village committee which begins with the ancestral hall at the center, radiating
leader, who served as the key informant, and three local outward with a series of “rows” (each row consists of
villagers as typical informants. Although the number of identical dwelling units arranged in a circular plan),
interviewees was limited, each had lived in the villages expanding across the entire settlement. Local villagers
for over 40 years and was actively involved in community explained that He Xin Wu initially had only two rows,
affairs. Instead of relying on a large number of interviews, which later expanded to five rows as the population grew
the study focused on intensive, in-depth conversations and eventually developed into nine rows. However, the

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3649