China’s earthen castles

Before the first half of the 20th century, almost all of the residents from the mountainous areas in Nanjing County, Fujian Province of China, lived in traditional earthen buildings known as tulou. The tulou were built by the Hakka and Han people and some are more than 500-years-old.

A tulou is a large, enclosed and fortified Chinese rural dwelling whose walls are made of rammed earth, cobblestones and bamboo sticks. They were built at a time when bandits and wild animals roamed the remote mountainous countryside freely, hence defensive structures were required to keep the locals out of danger.

Tulou are between two and five storeys and come in various shapes, but are mostly rectangular or circular. During a recent visit to Fujian Province, I had the opportunity to tour one such tulou – the Huaiyuan Lou.

Built during the Qing Dynasty between 1905 and 1901 by Jian Xin-Xi, this World Cultural Heritage Site is one of the well-designed and best preserved double-ring houses with a doughnut-shaped top located in Kanxia village. One has to go up a winding, narrow, mountainous road to get to the tulou.

Bamboos line the six-kilometre stretch as do banana and tea plantations, orange trees and local Chinese herbs. All these thrive in the subtropical monsoon climate of the region.

The Huaiyuan Lou is four storeys, has narrow corridors, small windows and one main gate made of heavy wood and covered with steel - a reminder that the tulou’s original purpose was to act as a fortress to keep invaders away. On the top of the gate are three water channels for fire emergencies.

The tulou covers about 1,385 square metres with a floor space of 3,468 square metres. It has a base that is three metres high made of large cobblestones while the wall is 1.2 metres thick, the better to ward off gunshots and arrows by any warlord.

As you approach the main gate, you notice observation towers at the top of the building. These were used to look out for enemies and prevent invasions before they occurred. Gun holes are also located on the top level of the building.

The two bottom floors are solid with no windows. Rooms on the ground and first floors served as the kitchen and family storage areas while the living quarters were on the third and fourth floors.

Each floor comprises 34 rooms and even though I did not get a chance to see one, I gathered they were all the same in size. At one point, the tulou housed more than 300 people, but now only about 22 families reside there. Most occupants have relocated to the nearby coastal town of Xiamen to look for work and modern living quarters.

The ones who have remained behind have set up a marketplace on the ground floor and make money by selling crafts, paintings, green tea, herbs and tulou-shaped souvenirs among others, as they shout in their local language.

Tulou were usually occupied by one large family clan of several generations, hence everyone living inside would have the same surname. The people in Huaiyuan Lou are surnamed Jian and Wang.

Construction

The outer structure is formed by compacting earth mixed with stones, bamboo and other available materials to form thick walls. The construction style not only kept the interior cool in summer, but also warm in winter. The interior is mainly constructed by wood and wooden stairs lead one to the living quarters on the upper floors.

Even though the outside of the tulou may be plain, as you get inside, you are struck by the wonder of the local architecture, with delicate carvings on the high ceilings and clay-tiled roof. Inside the building - also referred to as Hakka round house, earth dwelling, round strong house or simply tulou - there is another small building at the centre.

This inner ring is called Hall of Poem and Courtesy. This served as an ancestral hall where residents worshipped, carried out their festivals, meetings, weddings and even funerals.

Communal functions were held in an open area also at the centre, which also served as a school for the children. Public water wells are also located in the courtyard. The open courtyard allows for plenty of natural light during the day.

Hundreds of local and foreign tourists swamp the villages to see these unique Hakka buildings. Many of the tulou were built in clusters but there are some that stand alone like the Huaiyuan Lou. If you are ever in Nanjing, this is a must-visit as no amount of words can do justice to the wonder that is a Hakka tulou.