Hakkas, Hokkien and Hainanese
in Malaysia

Hakkas, Hokkien and Hainanese are among the main Chinese communities in Malaysia but do you know where they originate from?

China is a huge country but the majority of Malaysian Chinese have their roots in a relatively small area of South East China stretching from Fuzhou to Hainan.

The main communities are:

Hokkien - originating from Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhanghou districts in southern Fujian province. 

Teochew – originating from the area around Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang in Guangdong province.

Hainanese – from Hainan province.

Heng Hua – who came from Putian in Fujian province.

Hakka – came from both Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

Cantonese – mainly from Guangzhou and Taishan districts in Guangdong Province.

Min Dong – originally from Fuzhou and Fuqing in Fujian province.

The Hakkas

The Han Chin Pet Soo Museum in Ipoh is a good place to find some information on the Hakkas who are described as the 'Jews of Asia' for their mass migrations and pioneering spirit. It is thought they originated as early as 200BC in Northern China before fleeing southward in a series of migrations to escape various calamities before eventually settling in the Jiangxi, Fujian and Guandong provinces.

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AUTHOR BIO

cartoon of author with an orangutan

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing firsthand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published 700+ pages, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places even many Malaysians have never visited.