Fujian Tulou: The Giant Earthen Castles of the Hakka People (2026)

Fujian Tulou: The Giant Earthen Castles of the Hakka People

In the mountains of southwest Fujian stand some of the most extraordinary buildings in the world: tulou — massive circular and rectangular earthen fortresses, some with walls six meters thick and room for hundreds of families. Built from rammed earth, bamboo and stone, these UNESCO World Heritage buildings are part fortress, part apartment block, part village. For centuries they protected the Hakka people from bandits, and today they house a living community — and some of the most photogenic architecture in China.

Access, transport and village status verified August 2026.

What Is a Tulou?

• Rammed-earth walls — built by compacting earth, lime and glutinous rice into walls up to six meters thick; they can survive earthquakes and even artillery
• Communal living — a large tulou is a self-contained world: ground floor for kitchens and storage, upper floors for bedrooms, a central courtyard for gatherings
• Round or square — the classic round form is the most famous, but many are square or oval; the round design gave every room equal access to the central well and gate
• The Hakka people — the tulou were built by the Hakka, a migrant Han group who settled in the mountains and built these fortresses for defense

The Best Tulou to Visit

• Tianluokeng cluster — the famous "four dishes and one soup" view: four round tulou around one square one, seen from the hilltop viewpoint
• Chengqi Lou — the largest round tulou in existence, with four concentric rings and nearly 400 rooms; it once housed over 600 people
• Zhencheng Lou — a hybrid round tulou with the only dual-well design in Fujian, nicknamed the "Prince of Tulou"
• Yuchang Lou — famous for its crooked pillars, built to the forest's natural shape; known as the "Leaning Tower" of tulou

Getting There

• Base town — Nanjing county (not to be confused with the city Nanjing) is the main gateway; the tulou are scattered across its mountains
• From Xiamen — about 2.5–3 hours by bus or car; many visitors base themselves in Xiamen and do the tulou as a day or overnight trip
• Stay in a tulou — several tulou operate as guesthouses, letting you sleep inside the ancient walls — a once-in-a-lifetime stay
• Best time — March–May and September–November for mild weather and good light for photos