Fujian Tulou（福建土樓）

Fujian Tulou [jiayi.temp.host2.96110.com]

Fujian Tulou, or "earth building," is a type of Chinese rural dwelling of the Hakka and Minnan people in Fujian. Because the Hakka people originally liked to live together in remote mountainous and forested regions, they built fortified houses to defend themselves against fierce animals and thieves.

Built on a stone base, the Tulou's thick walls were packed with dirt and internally fortified with wood. A tulou is usually between three and five stories high and houses up to 80 families.

The first Tulou appeared during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), and the building style developed over the following dynasties until reaching its current form during the Republic of China (1912-1949). Its design incorporates the traditions of Feng shui (favorable sitting within the environment) and shows the perfect combination of unique traditional architecture and picturesque scenery.

In 2008. UNESCO branded a total of 46 Fujian Tulou sites as World Heritage Sites-the "exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization in harmony with their environment."

Admission: Nanjing Tulou: 100 yuan(US$15.73)/person;

                     Yongding Tulou: 90 yuan(US$14.16)/person;

                     Hua'an Tulou Cluster: 90 yuan(US$14.16)/person