Meixian
梅县区
District of Meixian
Location of the district in Meizhou
Location of the district in Meizhou
Meixian is located in Guangdong
Meixian
Meixian
Location in Guangdong
Coordinates: 24°19′17″N 116°07′10″E / 24.32139°N 116.11944°E / 24.32139; 116.11944
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceGuangdong
Prefecture-level cityMeizhou
Area
  Total2,755.36 km2 (1,063.85 sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Websitewww.gdmx.gov.cn
Meixian, Meizhou
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese梅县
HakkaMòi-yen
(IPA: [mɔi˩jɛn˥˧])
Literal meaningPlum County
Former Name (Qing dynasty)
Traditional Chinese嘉應
Simplified Chinese嘉应

Meixian District (梅县区) is a district of Meizhou City, in northeastern Guangdong Province, China.[1] The distrct is an important Hakka settlement and is the ancestral home of many Hakka descendants living in Taiwan.

History

Its original name was Chengxiang county (程鄕) during the southern Han Dynasty where it was first created, all the way to the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, and then renamed Jiaying county during the Qing dynasty. It only obtained the name Meixian in 1911 during the Xinhai Revolution.

Geography

Map including Meixian (MEI-HSIEN 梅縣 (KAYING)) area (1954)

Meixian almost completely surrounds Meizhou's central urban Meijiang District. This is due to the old urban core of Meixian becoming separated from the bulk of the county in the territorial reorganization following the 1949 establishment of the People's Republic of China, when it was given equal status.

Ethno-linguistic make-up

Meixian is noted for its large Hakka population.

Administrative divisions

Meixian has administrative jurisdiction over one subdistrict and 18 towns.[2]

Subdistrict
Towns
  • Chendong (城东镇)
  • Shisan (石扇镇)
  • Meixi (梅西镇)
  • Daping (大坪镇)
  • Shikeng (石坑镇)
  • Shuiche (水车镇)
  • Meinan (梅南镇)
  • Bincun (丙村镇)
  • Baidu (白渡镇)
  • Songyuan (松源镇)
  • Longwen (隆文镇)
  • Taoyao (桃尧镇)
  • Shejiang (畲江镇)
  • Yanyang (雁洋镇)
  • Songkou (松口镇)
  • Nankou (南口镇)
  • Chengjiang (程江镇)
  • Fuda (扶大镇)

Culture

With a majority Hakka population, Meixian, along with Dabu County, is known as the home of Standard Hakka.

References

  1. 国务院批准广东梅县"撤县设区" 政府驻地不变. China News (in Chinese). 11 November 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  2. "Mei County (梅县)" (in Chinese). National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China. 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2014.


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