Fujian Tulou (Yongding & Nanjing)

The UNESCO-listed Fujian Tulou — the round Hakka earthen buildings of Yongding, Nanjing's Tianluokeng "four dishes and a soup" cluster and the old town of Yunshuiyao — are the most iconic architectural wonder of southwestern Fujian.

The Fujian Tulou are scattered across the mountains of Yongding District in Longyan and Nanjing and Hua'an counties in Zhangzhou, in southwestern Fujian. These large rammed-earth buildings, where Hakka and Hokkien clans lived together, come in round, square and "five-phoenix" forms, and the biggest can house several hundred people. In 2008, 46 tulou in six clusters and four individual buildings were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Fujian Tulou."

The core visiting area is split into two zones about 30–40 km apart. The Yongding zone (Hukeng and Xiayang towns) has the Hongkeng Tulou Cluster (Zhencheng, Kuiju and Fuyu buildings), the Gaobei Tulou Cluster (Chengqi Building, the "King of Tulou") and the Chuxi Tulou Cluster. The Nanjing zone (Shuyang Town) has the Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster (the "four dishes and a soup"), Yuchang Building, Yunshuiyao Ancient Town, and Hegui and Huaiyuan buildings. The Hua'an Dadi Tulou Cluster (Eryi Building) is farther away and suits a more in-depth trip.

Tickets are sold separately for each site (indicative prices: Yunshuiyao about ¥90 including Hegui and Huaiyuan buildings; Tianluokeng about ¥100 including Yuchang Building and Taxia Village; Gaobei about ¥50; Hongkeng and Chuxi ticketed separately); check each site's published prices. Tickets usually include the sightseeing shuttle. Any season works: photos are most beautiful in spring (Mar–Apr) with rapeseed blossoms and in autumn (Oct–Nov) when the rice fields turn gold. Summer brings frequent thunderstorms, after which mist drifts through the mountains.

Getting there: it's about a 2.5–3-hour drive from Xiamen. High-speed trains run to Longyan and Nanjing stations, where you can switch to a direct tourist bus or hire a car with driver. Public transport between the tulou is scarce, so hiring a car or self-driving is recommended. Suggested 2 days: day 1 in the Nanjing zone (Tianluokeng, Yuchang Building, Yunshuiyao), staying overnight in a tulou inn; day 2 in the Yongding zone (Hongkeng, Gaobei, Chuxi). Tulou rooms have wooden walls with poor soundproofing and basic bathrooms, but the evening atmosphere and morning cooking smoke make it worth the experience. Local food includes Hakka pounded tea (leicha), salt-baked chicken, taro dumplings, braised pork with pickled mustard greens and Yongding dried vegetables. Many tulou are still lived in, so don't enter private rooms, and compare prices before buying local products.

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