Fujian tulou

Lore & Background

Fujian tulou are large, enclosed buildings with very thick load-bearing rammed earth walls, typically three to five stories high. They are most commonly rectangular or circular, with smaller interior buildings containing halls, storehouses, wells, and living areas, resembling a small fortified city. The walls, up to 1.8 meters thick, are reinforced with stone, bamboo, and wood, making the structures windproof, earthquake-proof, warm in winter, and cool in summer. Most tulous have only one main gate, guarded by thick wooden doors reinforced with iron plate, and the top level features gun holes for defense.

Reader's Guide

The Fujian tulou represent a unique building tradition and function, exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization in harmonious relationship with their environment. These include clusters such as Chuxi, Tianluokeng, Hekeng, Gaobei, Dadi, and Hongkeng, as well as individual buildings like Yangxian Lou, Huiyuan Lou, Zhengfu Lou, and Hegui Lou. The definition used in Fujian specifies a large building with load-bearing rammed earth walls used as a residence by a community, distinguishing it from smaller single-family structures. The tulou are administered as a single tourist site known as the Nanjing Tulou Scenic Area, with its entrance in Shuyang township.

Did You Know?

• Zhenchenglou, nicknamed 'the prince of tulou', shows Western influence with Greek style columns and wrought iron railings.
• The walls of tulous can be up to 6 feet (1.8 m) thick and are reinforced with branches, strips of wood, and bamboo chips.