A number of Hakka people have been given awards under the name of Marshal Ye Jianying, a famous revolutionary and founder of the People's Liberation Army, for their contribution to social and economic development in Meizhou, Guangdong province.

The awards were issued during the opening ceremony of the World Hakka Businessmen Forum, which was held in Meizhou on Sept 22.

The mountainous city of Meizhou, where Marshal Ye was born, is home to 3.5 million overseas Hakka people, sources with the local government said.

Zeng Xianzi, chairman of the Hong Kong-listed Goldlion Group, leads the award list for donating 150 million yuan ($24.5 million) to the city.

Cities of Meizhou, Shaoguan, Huizhou, Heyuan and Qingyuan, where most Hakka people live, also signed some 70 investment agreements with Hakka business people from around the world with investment value of more than 66 billion yuan.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn