Hakka Women

In Chinese tradition, studying is all-important as it was the only way one could move up the social ladder, thus improving the living conditions and bring glory to the family and clan. However, this method was exclusive to the male population. Especially in Hakka culture, the women took over the responsibilities of farming and taking care of the household, to allow male members of the family to focus on studying and on their careers. Since childhood, the Hakka female would deal with the household chores, cook, farm, cutting the firewood, sweep cow dung and selling agriculture products at markets after harvest.

The only entertainment Hakka women had was singing mountain songs and watching open-air operas held on festivals. Most had only two formal knitted vests to wear and they would patch them up if the vests tore, reflecting the thrifty characteristics of Hakka people. And now such girls are the old ladies sitting in front of their village houses, and they have stored away their pretty vests in trunks, to put on something more comfortable to wear. They can watch their grandchildren and look back on their own rich lives.