Hemu New Residence: A Living Fossil of Hakka Architecture in Shenzhen

In the heart of Longgang District, Shenzhen, a city renowned for technology and innovation, lies a hidden Hakka treasure with over 200 years of history – Hemu New Residence. Initiated by Luo Ruifeng, a Hakka from Xingning, Meizhou during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, this enclosed house took three generations and decades to complete, becoming the largest existing Hakka walled village complex in China and the most representative among more than 300 Hakka enclosed houses in Shenzhen.

Covering an area of about 25,000 square meters, Hemu New Residence is famous for its layout of “nine halls, eighteen wells and ten pavilions with corridors”. It consists of an inner square enclosure and an outer trapezoidal enclosure. The 6-meter-high rammed earth wall is solid and thick, with watchtowers at the four corners connected to the corridor, forming a tight defensive system that combines living, production and defense functions, capable of accommodating over 1,000 people at its peak. Integrating the architectural styles of Central Plains mansions, southern Jiangxi quadrangle buildings and Guangfu corridor houses, it is a model of the integration of Hakka Culture and Lingnan regional culture.

There are many highlights not to be missed: the largest and best-preserved conch shell window in Shenzhen, made of polished shell pieces, which transmits light without transparency and shimmers with rainbow light under sunlight; the “Da Fu Di” plaque in front of the ancestral hall, a glorious witness granted by Emperor Daoguang; and the twenty family mottos of the Luo clan hanging around, embodying the clan concept of “diligence, integrity, filial piety, courtesy and trustworthiness”. Now serving as Longgang Hakka Folk Custom Museum, it displays exhibits such as Hakka wedding customs, costumes and intangible cultural heritage, vividly restoring the life scene of the Hakka people.

Practical Information: Location – No. 1 Luoruihe North Street, Nanlian Community, Longgang Street, Longgang District, Shenzhen, an 8-minute walk from Exit C1 of Nanlian Station on Metro Line 3; Opening Hours – 9:00-17:00 (closed on Mondays, last entry at 16:30); Admission – Free with QR code registration. Nearby Luoruihe Market offers Hakka delicacies such as Ai Ban (glutinous rice cake with mugwort) and stuffed tofu, with an average cost of over 20 yuan per person.