Hidden World Cultural Heritag

Hidden World Cultural Heritage in a Remote Countryside

Yongding District in Fujian Province is a well-known hometown of overseas Chinese. Situated in mountainous terrain with limited farmland, it was here that the Hakka people—after enduring generations of migration since the Tang and Song dynasties—built tens of thousands of Tulou (earthen buildings), creating a true architectural marvel of the world. In 2008, the Tulou clusters were inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. It is said that during the Cold War, the US once mistook them for missile silos after satellite reconnaissance!

In May 2025, our SUV headed south from Changting, Fujian. After about an hour and a half on the Xiarong Expressway, we arrived at the Yongding tulou area—specifically, the tulou cluster in Chuxi Village, Xiayang town. We visited Yuqinglou, Jiqinglou, and Gengqinglou. Though our visit was brief, it was truly eye-opening!

The four-story Jiqing Building (Jiqinglou), which faces south and is over 60 meters in diameter, is the representative structure of the Chuxi tulou cluster. It was built in 1419 (during the Ming Dynasty) by seven brothers of the third generation of the Xu clan from Chuxi Village—over 600 years ago. It remains the oldest and most architecturally unique round Tulou still standing in Yongding today.

Experts on Tulou explain that local residents made full use of natural materials—earth, wood, and river stones—to construct these buildings. It provides a comfortable and sustainable living environment where it was warm in winter and cool in summer.

When a tulou eventually collapses due to natural disasters or the passage of time, its materials return harmlessly to nature. Though these are ancient structures, the environmental consciousness they embody is far ahead of their time!.

Post by Benjamin F C Teng | Oct 13, 2025