In the Lingnan region of southern China, there exists a cultural code infused with the herbal aroma of the Central Plains, Hakka traditional Chinese medicine, quietly preserved by Hakka people around the world. The development of Hakka medicine is essentially a history of Hakka migration, a history of cultural fusion, and a history of north-south exchange. It merges medical theories from the Central Plains with southern flora, the medicinal knowledge of ethnic minorities, and overseas demand, forming a unique system characterized by “north-south integration, a combination of prevention and treatment, and integration of theory and practice.”
Throughout the five major migrations in Chinese history, Hakka ancestors integrated ancient Central Plains medical theories with the vitality of southern plants in the Lingnan region, giving rise to the distinct Hakka traditional Chinese medicine known as Hakka Medicine. Today, represented by the century-old heritage of the “holy medicine for throat disorders,” Shuangliao Houfeng Powder, Hakka Medicine serves not only as an effective remedy but has also extended from the vast land of China to pharmacies overseas, becoming an important cultural link for Hakka people around the world.
Origins of Hakka Medicine: Blended Medical Wisdom of the North and the South Derived from Migration
In 311 AD, during the “Disaster of Yongjia” that struck the Western Jin dynasty, war swept across the Central Plains. Aristocrats and commoners were forced to migrate southward in what history calls the “garments and headdresses moving south”. This marked the first large-scale migration of the Hakka people and the beginning of the southward transmission of Central Plains medical culture. Carrying classical medical texts such as the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor and Shen-nong’s Herbal Classics, Hakka ancestors embarked on their journey and integrated this knowledge with the flora and medical skills of the South.
During the late Tang period, the An Lushan Rebellion and the Huang Chao Uprising triggered a second migration wave, sending Hakka groups into the mountainous regions of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi. Confronted with humid weather and epidemic miasma, they no longer relied solely on traditional Central Plains medicinal herbs but instead ventured deep into the mountains, combining southern herbal resources with classical medical theory.
In the late Song and early Yuan dynasties, the southward military campaigns of the Jin armies prompted the third migration, which led Hakka communities to settle in eastern and northern Guangdong. To adapt to the southern environment, they incorporated herbal knowledge into daily life. The “Sanjidi Soup”, made from wolfberry leaves, pig liver, and lean meat, served both as a daily dish and a remedy for clearing heat and dispelling dampness; mugwort herbal baths became a tradition for preventing colds. This wisdom of “medicine and food sharing the same origin” allowed traditional medicine to become fully embedded in Hakka life.
During the fourth migration in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, known as “Huguang Fills Sichuan”, the Hakka carried medicinal seeds and planting techniques into Sichuan. In the Luoxiao Mountains of eastern Hunan, they cultivated medicinal crops such as ramie and indigo, which became a gateway to gaining a foothold in the local community.
After the Taiping Rebellion in the late Qing dynasty, the fifth migration sent Hakka communities to Southeast Asia, spreading traditional Chinese medicine throughout the region. In 1799, advertisements for traditional Chinese medicines appearing in American newspapers already showed traces of Hakka remedies; today, Hakka formulas remain a familiar sight in Southeast Asian pharmacies, bearing witness to this chapter of migration history.
These five migrations are like five strands of silk, connecting medical theories of the Central Plains with southern flora, ethnic minority knowledge, and overseas needs, weaving the unique Hakka medical system of “north-south integration, a combination of prevention and treatment, and integration of theory and practice.” Surveys show that Meizhou alone is home to over 1,800 species of medicinal plants, among which 282 are nationally important varieties, accounting for more than 60%. This abundance embodies the Hakka people’s bond with herbs in millennia-long exploration.
Hakka Nostalgia: A Search for “Roots” Through the Global Inheritance of Hakka Medicinal Aroma
In Malaysia, among more than 6,000 traditional Chinese medicine shops, many are run by Hakka people; Hakka associations in the United States host health lectures that still center on the principles of “Vitex negundo L. Bath” and “Sanjidi Soup.” According to the relevant responsible person of the Global Union for Tsung Tsin and Hakka Association, Hakka people residing in more than 80 countries and regions are preserving this medical heritage in diverse ways.
Malaysia is a major overseas center for the transmission of Hakka medicine. The local federation of Jiaying associations has strengthened cooperation with Jiaying Pharmaceutical to introduce products such as Shuangliao Houfeng Powder into pharmacies. In April 2025, a trade delegation of the Federation visited Meizhou to expand collaboration, hoping to bring more “Hakka Medicines” into Southeast Asian households. During the Penang State temple festival in Malaysia, the herbal identification activities organized by the Lee Clan Ancestral Hall attract large numbers of Chinese participants, where children learn to recognize Vitex negundo L. leaves and mugwort, gaining insights into the wisdom of their ancestors.
In the United States, the Overseas Hakka Cultural Exchange Association, founded in 2013, frequently organizes events under the theme “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Health.” In early 2023, Wu Hao, President of the Chicago Hakka Association, in collaboration with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Jiaoling County, Meizhou, Guangdong, provided traditional Chinese medicine services for COVID-19 prevention and treatment for local Hakka communities, demonstrating the practical value of traditional remedies abroad.
In Southeast Asia, Hakka herbal formulas are top sellers in more than 800 Thai pharmacies; in Vietnam’s integrative medicine clinics, among 180 imported Chinese patent medicines, many contain Hakka prescriptions. The aroma of these remedies acts as an invisible bond linking overseas Hakka communities with their ancestral home in Meizhou, Guangdong.
The Code of Medicinal Aroma: A “Two-Way Exchange” Between Tradition and Modernity
Today, Hakka traditional Chinese medicine is undergoing a collision and integration of tradition and modernity. As the “first listed company in the field of Hakka Medicine”, Jiaying Pharmaceutical has adjusted its marketing strategies and increased research investments to adapt ancient formulas to modern needs. Overseas Hakka associations are promoting the philosophy of “medicine and food sharing the same origin” through short videos and health lectures favored by younger generations.
“It is not only a medicine for healing but also a cultural root,” said Mr. Chen, a Hakka businessman in Malaysia, expressing a sentiment shared by many. From the medicine bundles carried during the migrations of the Western Jin to today’s modern packaging of Hakka medicinal products; from foraging herbs in mountain forests to standardized production in modern workshops, the thousand-year evolution of Hakka medicine has always reflected the Hakka people’s wisdom in understanding nature, sustaining life, and preserving cultural heritage.
This aroma of Hakka medicine, which transcends time and space, is currently riding the waves of globalization, planting the seeds of “Hakka roots” in the hearts of more people.
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