Fujian Tulou: Ancient Architecture in Modern Spotlight

Today, we’ll talk about Fujian tulou, an iconic Hakka architectural marvel, which is globally recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, embodying a blend of historical resilience and cultural preservation.

Transcript

Fujian Tulou: Ancient Architecture in Modern Spotlight

Today, we’ll talk about Fujian tulou, an iconic Hakka architectural marvel, which is globally recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, embodying a blend of historical resilience and cultural preservation.

From December 21 to 22, 2024, the annual Castle Expo was held in Yokohama, Japan. The China Tourism Office in Tokyo set up a booth using multimedia displays themed around “Fujian Tulou” and “Kaifeng Ancient City Wall” to vividly present China’s image.

Japan’s Castle Expo, which has been held in December every year since 2016, is the largest castle-themed expo in Japan. This year, the two-day event attracted about 20,000 visitors from all over Japan and from many other countries.

When the word “tulou” is mentioned, many people immediately think of the Hakka people who live in them. However, unlike what a lot of people assume, the Hakka do not comprise an ethnic group of their own, though they’re historical circumstances may make them seem so. They are actually part of the Han ethnicity. 

It’s like this: over 1,000 years ago, due to natural disasters, wars, and foreign invasions, some Han people migrated from the Central Plains to the south, eventually settling in provinces of Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong. And to distinguish themselves from the local population, they referred to themselves as “Hakka”, which means “guest families”.

In fact, the Hakka people have undergone multiple migrations. The first migration began during the Yongjia period of the Western Jin Dynasty, which lasted from 307 to 311. At that time, nomadic tribes from the north disrupted the residents of the Central Plains. Then, various natural disasters, combined with poor governance, led to famine and widespread epidemics. This caused a massive migration of Han people to the Yangtze River basin. This migration lasted for two centuries and involved over a million people, marking the first major wave of population movement in ancient China.

The second wave was driven by the Huang Chao Rebellion, lasting from 875 to 884 during the late Tang Dynasty. Huang Chao was a Chinese rebel leader whose uprising greatly weakened the Tang Dynasty. His army of 600,000 included many civilians, some of whom were women and children as well as the elderly. These people were forced to serve or follow as refugees. After reaching the Yangtze River basin, the Hakka ancestors migrated even further south to remote areas such as southern Jiangxi, the Wuyi Mountains, or the Dayu Mountains.

The third wave occurred during the Song and Yuan dynasties from the 10th to 14th century, triggered by invasions from northern ethnic groups like the Khitans, Jurchens, and Mongols. The Hakka ancestors were forced to open up new territories, moving east to western Fujian, modern-day Longyan and Zhangzhou or south over the Nanling Mountains to Jiaying Prefecture in modern-day Meizhou of Guangdong Province.

It is evident that the Hakka people are neither an ethnic group nor from a fixed region. Instead, they emerged as a distinct group through the continuous southward migration of Han people from the Central Plains and their integration with indigenous populations in the south.

Living in turbulent times, the Hakka relied on kinship bonds to form tightly knit communities. This practice of living together was not only rooted in the deeply ingrained Confucian traditions of the Central Plains but also a practical necessity for pooling strength and defending against external threats. To ensure their survival and safety, the Hakka continuously upgraded and adapted their dwellings throughout their migrations.

Traditional Chinese wooden structures could not meet the dual demands of communal living and collective defense. Moreover, the areas where the Hakka settled were often rugged and isolated, with frequent threats from wild animals and bandits. In response, and over a long period of time, the Hakka people ingeniously developed what is now the world-famous structures called tulou – translated literally as earthen buildings. These communal homes combined both residential and defensive functions.

The Hakka demonstrated remarkable ingenuity, using locally sourced materials such as earth, wood, stone, and bamboo. These materials were mixed in precise proportions and compacted with wooden frames to construct the walls of the tulou. The resulting walls were incredibly sturdy and capable of withstanding centuries of weathering while remaining intact, thereby offering residents a strong sense of security. Once the main gate was closed, the tulou became a self-contained fortress. For the Hakka ancestors fleeing chaos, these buildings served as their own refuge from a troubled world.

The tulou are numerous and widely distributed, with some villages consisting of dozens or even hundreds of them. Their scale is often extraordinary, covering areas from several thousand to tens of thousands of square meters. Most tulou are more than two stories high, with the tallest reaching up to six stories and accommodating up to 800 residents. The first and second floors typically have kitchens and granaries, and on those levels windows are minimal, while the third floor and above serve as living quarters.

A tulou is often the residence of a single clan, serving as the basic unit of a village and referred to as a “family micro-kingdom” or a “thriving small city.” Within the building, different families live in vertically divided sections, sharing each floor equally. And compared to the simple exterior of a tulou, the interior space is designed to be quite comfortable and is often beautifully decorated.

In addition to its residential function, a tulou also serves as a concentrated display of traditional artistic concepts and humanistic ideals. In Fujian, many tulou have elegant names, such as Hegu Lou, Huaiyuan Lou, Zhencheng Lou, Shize Lou, Rusheng Lou, and Ruiyun Lou. Respectively, these names translate as harmony, abundance, expectation, brilliance, ambition, and auspicious – clearly reflecting the Hakka people’s aspirations for a better life.

As mentioned earlier, tulou were built to support communal living and defend against external enemies. So, how effective are they for defense? How do they help residents counter traditional attacks such as tunneling or fire or heavy artillery?

First, the foundation of a tulou is very deep, at least one meter, and over three meters wide; moreover, it is built out of stone, making it difficult to tunnel through. Furthermore, the cobblestones in the foundation are arranged with the larger ends facing inward and the smaller ends outward. When attackers dig tunnels and encounter the smaller ends, they might initially feel optimistic but will find the stones becoming larger as they dig, increasing the difficulty of excavation.

Second, the main gates are made of highly fire-resistant woods like Litsea glutinosa or catalpa. The boards have a thickness of over 10 centimeters and are constructed from solid wood planks. Behind the double doors, horizontal bars are used to reinforce the structure, while the door frames are built with stone slabs. In addition to the fire-resistant properties of the wood, the gates are covered with iron sheets on the outside. A “water trough” is installed above the gates, connected to water tanks or bamboo pipes on the second floor. During an attack, water can be poured into the trough, flowing evenly over the outer surface of the gates to create a water curtain, quickly extinguishing flames and resisting fire attacks.

Lastly, the outer walls of a tulou are made using locally sourced soil, mixed with a certain proportion of fine river sand or lime, and left to ferment after thorough mixing. This process produces highly cohesive earth, making the walls extremely durable and resistant to damage. 

I’ll tell you a quick story to illustrate just how tough these walls are. In 1934, during a peasant uprising in Yong’an County, Fujian Province, the rebels retreated to a tulou called Yuxing Lou. Despite repeated assaults, the central army of the Nationalist government resorted to using direct-fire artillery. However, 19 shells only left a few small dents on the outer walls, and the tulou remained unshaken.

Since traditional offensive methods proved ineffective, what about a siege? Could the occupants of a tulou be starved into submission? The answer to that question is also negative because the army outside would most likely be first to run out of provisions.

Each tulou courtyard contains wells, solving the issue of water supply. The granaries on the second floor are stocked yearly with harvested grains such as rice and dried sweet potatoes, along with preserved foods like pickled vegetables and cold noodles. Additionally, the tulou often housed livestock and poultry, ensuring a sufficient food supply. These factors illustrate that the Hakka people created an exceptionally well-designed civilian defensive fortress, a true refuge during turbulent times.

Most existing tulou are located in Fujian Province, earning them the name “Fujian Tulou.” Fujian is home to about 3,000 tulou, which can be categorized into three main types: circular buildings, square buildings, and Five Phoenix buildings, which are the mansion-styled structures as well as some other variants. Besides Fujian, tulou have also been found in Hakka settlements in provinces of neighboring Guangdong, or out west in Sichuan as well as other regions.

Within Fujian, tulou are mainly concentrated in Longyan’s Yongding District and Zhangzhou’s Nanjing County and Hua’an County, where large tulou clusters have formed.

The Chuxi Tulou Cluster in Yongding District is a settlement of the Xu Hakka clan, consisting of five circular buildings and dozens of square ones. The most representative, Jiqing Lou, was built in the 17th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty in 1419, covering 2,826 square meters. It features nine watchtowers for mounting weapons, a fire-resistant water trough at the top of the main gate, hidden passages on the ground floor, and secret staircases inside, showcasing comprehensive defensive facilities.

The Gaobei Tulou Cluster in Yongding District is home to the Jiang Hakka clan, with four well-preserved tulou. Among them, the circular Chengqi Lou is the cluster’s centerpiece, notable for its long history and unique four-ring design. Covering over 5,376 square meters, it is the largest tulou and at its peak housed over 80 families – more than 600 people – all of the Jiang lineage.

The Hekeng Tulou Cluster in Nanjing County is home to the Zhang Hakka clan. It consists of seven square tulou, six circular ones, and one pentagonal tulou, with construction spanning from the mid-Yuan Dynasty to the 1960s, covering a period of over 700 years.

The Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster in Nanjing County is a small settlement of the Huang Hakka clan. It is composed of five tulou: one square building, three circular buildings, and one oval-shaped building, earning the nickname “Four Dishes and One Soup.” The cluster was first built in the first year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty in 1662, with its full formation taking over 300 years.

The Dadi Tulou Cluster in Hua’an County is a settlement of the Xiong Hakka clan, consisting of three tulou: Eryi Lou, Nanyang Lou, and Dongyang Lou. Among them, Eryi Lou is known as the “King of Tulou.” Construction began in the fifth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty in 1740 and took over 30 years to complete. The building features a double-ring circular design covering an area of 9,300 square meters with the entrance gates facing southeast. The outer ring is four stories high, while the inner ring has one story, containing a total of 213 rooms. The courtyard includes two wells, named “Yin Spring” and “Yang Spring,” forming a Taiji pattern. Even when the external temperature is the same, the water temperature of the two wells differs by one degree.

Eryi Lou also boasts remarkable artistic features, including 593 square meters of murals with 226 individual works, 99 square meters of colorful paintings with 228 individual works, 349 wood carvings, and 163 pairs of couplets. The content includes birds, flowers, landscapes, and figures, making it unique among Fujian tulou and rare among traditional Chinese residential architecture. It is considered a treasure trove of folk art and a model of tulou cultural heritage.

Some rooms display newspapers such as the New York Times in 1931 and the New York Evening Post in 1932, while others feature murals depicting Western clocks and women, with translated annotations. These elements serve as evidence of cultural exchange between China and the West.

The tulou represent a distinctive architectural achievement, offering exceptional testimony to vanished civilizations or cultural traditions. As a result, at the 32nd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Quebec, Canada, in 2008, the Fujian tulou were inscribed on the World Heritage List, earning global recognition and acclaim.

Interestingly, the Fujian tulou first became known to the world due to an unusual story. In the 1960s, the US Central Intelligence Agency, analyzing satellite images, identified a large number of structures resembling missile launch pads in the mountainous regions of western Fujian. It wasn’t until 1985, when American scholars visited the area for field research, that a report clarified these structures were residential buildings, not nuclear facilities. This unexpected revelation brought the Fujian tulou into the global spotlight.

In recent years, significant efforts have been made to preserve the heritage of the tulou. Nanjing County meticulously developed restoration plans, adhering strictly to established protocols, and carried out phased restoration projects on 20 tulou. By 2023, the county had invested over 2.6 billion yuan, about US$356 million in restoration efforts. Similarly, Yongding District launched a major restoration campaign, with 138 tulou structures receiving comprehensive repairs.

Now, if you can’t manage to visit Fujian or one of the other locations we’ve talked about to see a tulou up close and personal, here’s the next best thing. In 2024, the Yongding District government contributed a scaled model of Zhencheng Lou, which is known as the “Prince of Tulou,” to the National Museum of China, offering another platform to showcase tulou architecture to the world.

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Lü Weitao, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.