The Fujian Tulou (Nanjing) Scenic Area is located in Shuyang Town and Meilin Town, Nanjing County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. It comprises three major attractions, the Tianluokeng Scenic Area, Yunshuiyao Scenic Area, and Hekeng Folk Culture Village. Renowned for its picturesque landscapes and profound cultural heritage, the area seamlessly integrates history, folk traditions, and architecture, making it an ideal destination for cultural exploration and leisure travel.

Located in Shuyang Town, the Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster consists of one square building, three circular buildings, and one oval building, namely Buyun Lou, Hechang Lou, Ruiyun Lou, Zhenchang Lou, and Wenchang Lou. The unique layout has earned it the nickname “Four Dishes and One Soup”. The cluster’s design draws inspiration from the Kaogong Ji (Book of Diverse Crafts), specifically the concept of the “Five-Chambered Hall of Light (Mingtang明堂)”, and follows the generative order of the Five Elements, “metal, wood, water, fire, and earth”. This creates a rare and harmonious architectural composition. Built in alignment with the surrounding mountain terrain, the layered earthen walls echo the terraced fields nearby. When clouds and mist drift through the valley, the tulou emerge and fade like living beings, imbuing the landscape with a sense of spirit and vitality.

Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, Photo by Shen Yang

Yunshuiyao is located in Meilin Town, Nanjing County, and has served as a filming location for several Chinese films and TV series, including Yunshuiyao, The Opera Troupe, and Searching for a Distant Home. The area is celebrated for its poetic scenery, where ancient winding paths, thousand-year-old banyan trees, and remarkable tulou form a richly textured landscape painting. Notable sites include Hegui Lou, Huaiyuan Lou, and Deqing Lou. Huaiyuan Lou, a south-facing double-ring circular tulou, is especially renowned. Its masterful rammed-earth construction and refined cultural atmosphere reflect the residents’ deep respect for education and civility, embodying the traditional ideal of “studying to serve the nation and bring peace to the world”.

Hegui Lou, Photo by Zhang Zhijian

Huaiyuan Lou at Sunset, Photo by Zhang Jie

Located in Shuyang Town, Hekeng Folk Culture Village features 14 large tulou buildings clustered within an area of less than one square kilometer, making it the densest concentration of tulou in Fujian. The village presents a striking formation: seven square tulou from the Ming and Qing dynasties and seven circular tulou from the modern era, together forming two “Big Dipper” patterns on the ground.

Yuchang Lou Under a Starry Sky, Photo by Hong Shuzhen

The Nanjing Tulou is a crystallization of the wisdom of northern Chinese communities who migrated south. They bear witness to the integration and coexistence of Hakka and Minnan cultures. Their clan-based living arrangements highlight strong family cohesion, while their defensive designs embody remarkable ingenuity for survival, making these earthen fortresses both architectural marvels and living records of Chinese social history.