Raised from earth: Dwellings of the Hakka

Tulou — the term translates literally as “earthen building” — typically have an earthen outer wall and an internal wooden frame. Typically circular in shape, they resemble ancient Roman stadiums.

The tulou in Fujian province were built by the Hakka people, a sub-group of the Han ethnic group that fled from the north to escape conflict in China’s central plains centuries ago. The people eventually found refuge in the mountainous areas in southern China. Thousands of tulou are scattered across the province, with Yongding being home to 1,768 of them.