World Cultural Heritage: Fujian Tulou

Watch Video: Fujian Tulou

Date of Inscription: 2008

Assessment of the World Heritage Committee

The Fujian tulou displays the local people’s tradition of living together based on blood ties as a big family. It is the only type of large rammed earth buildings in the world, and has “outstanding universal value.”

Chinese name: Fu Jian Tu Lou

English name: Fujian Tulou

The Chinese Fujian tulou was formally listed in the World Heritage List at the 32nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Quebec, Canada on July 6, 2008.

The Fujian tulou, which includes the Gaobei tulou complex, Hongkeng tulou complex, Chuxi tulou complex, Yanxiang Building and Zhenfu Building in Yongding County, Tianluokeng tulou complex, Hekeng tulou complex, Guilou Building as well as the Huaiyuan Building in Nanjing County and Dadi tulou complex in Hua’an County, is mainly distributed in the western and southern mountains in Fujian Province. The Fujian tulou is known for its unique architectural style and its long history and culture. It not only includes the most common circular tulou, but also includes the square tulou and the cadeira-shaped tulou. It covers all styles of the tulou complex.

The Fujian tulou was first built in the Song and Yuan dynasties, and gradually became established in the late Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period after the early and medium development in the Ming Dynasty and was handed down from generation to generation. The Fujian tulou is the largest unique residential building in the world, which is located in the mountainous areas and constructed of rammed earth. Furthermore, it is a creative masterpiece construed by raw soil. The Fujian tulou is nestled among the mountains and streams, and reasonably distributed. It also combines traditional Chinese construction planning and meets the needs of living together and defense. In addition, it skillfully uses the flat ground among the mountains and local raw soil, wood and cobbles. The Fujian tulou is a raw-soil high building, which has comprised one system itself and has the advantage of being thrifty, solid and strong defensively, as well as beautiful.