Earth Towers of the Hakkas

A tulou or earthen building or earch towner, is a traditional communal residence in the Fujian province of Southern China, usually of a circular configuration surrounding a central shrine. These vernacular structures were occupied by clan groups. Fujian Tulou are known for their unique shape, large scale, and ingenious structure. Although most tulou were of earthen construction, the definition tulou, is a broadly descriptive label for a building type and does not indicate construction type. Some were constructed of cut granite or had substantial walls of fired brick. Most large-scale tulou seen today were built of a composite material known as sanhetu rather than just earth.