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Collaboration of the Month
Hakka Earth Building in Youngding is a cluster of large, enclosed and fortified structures located in Yongding County, Fujian province. A typical building (also known as Tulou) is mainly made of raw soil, mixed with stone, fine sand, lime, glutinous rice, bamboo, wood and other readily available materials. Roof coverings are usually durable burned tiles. The walls are up to 1.8 m (6 feet) thick. These structures are well-lit, well-ventilated, windproof and earthquake-proof, warm in winter and cool in summer. The whole structure resembles a small fortified city. Enclosed by these huge peripheral walls are often some smaller interior buildings, like halls, small stores, wells and living areas.
Yongding Tulou is between three and five stories high, housing up to 80 families, many of them are three or four generations of one family living together. They were mostly built between the 12th and the 20th centuries with the oldest one of 600 years old, and newest one 30 years old. They were evolved from the strongholds constructed on top of mountains in 12th century by southern Fujian people as a defence against aggression from outside. Top stories of most Tulous have gun holes for defensive purposes.
Youngding Toulou was inscribed in 2008 by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, as "exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization [in a] harmonious relationship with their environment".
There are buses from Xiamen to Xiayang town of Yongding County. Buses leave Xiamen Long Distance Passenger Station from 6am until 12:30pm. The trip takes about 3.5 hours, and costs about 70 RMB (or 11 USD).
There are also other buses going to Yongding from cities like Fuzhou and Longyan.
Alternatively, visitors can rent passenger vans (driver included). Cost ranges from 400 RMB (11-person van), 300 RMB (7-seat van), 150~200 RMB (car), and 100 RMB (Motocycle). (more Yongding Tulou...)
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