Hakka people
The Hakka (), sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese people whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhejiang, Hainan and Guizhou. The Chinese characters for "Hakka" () literally mean "guest families". Unlike other Han Chinese groups, the Hakkas are not named after a geographical region, e.g. a province, county or city, in China.
Carved wood vahanas in National Museum
The "vahanas" are both the symbol and the emblem of the deity that they carry. In Hindu iconography, positive aspects of the vehicle are often emblematic of the deity that it carries such as "Nandi", the bull, vehicle of Shiva, represents strength and virility. "Parvani" the peacock, vehicle of Kartikeya, represents splendor and majesty. The "Hamsa", vehicle of Saraswati, represents wisdom, grace and beauty.