Yongding Hakka Roundhouses

Location:

Yongding Hakka Roundhouses are situated in Longyan Area, west of Fujiang Province.

Features:

Roundhouses were inscribed by UNESCO as one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites in 2008.

Brief Introduction:

Whenever travelers would like to pay a visit to Hakka roundhouses, two towns, Hukeng and Xiayang, are best choices. There are five roundhouses scenery spots open in both towns, namely Chuxi Roundhouses Complex, Gaobei Roundhouses Complex, Zhongchuan Ancient Village, Zhengfu Tu Lou Scenic Spot (Nanxi Tu Lou Comples) and Hung Ken Folk Culture Village.

The Tu Lou is either round or square, and was originally designed as a large fortress and apartment building in one. There stands at present 360 round Tu Lou and more than 4000 square.

The round Tu Lou is a typical residence of Kejia nationality. It has a shape of an emerging mushroom, or of a falling flying saucer. In the Cold War, it was even believed by the Western countries as China’s nuclear reactor.

The miraculous round building consists of two or three floors, with comprehensive functions, like kitchens, dining rooms, warehouses, bedrooms, guest rooms, ancestral halls, wedding and funeral venues, in one and in proper order. There are also wells, bathrooms, mills and other facilities inside the building. It was built by local raw soil without reinforced concrete and steels. Its foundation wall is three meters wide and is able to be constant in earthquake, fire or any attach. What is more, it has a good ventilation and lighting, and is warm in winter and cool in summer.

Its structure has rich cultural connotations, reflecting the unity and friendship of Kejia nationalty from generation to generation. Hundreds of Kejia people live together in the tremendous building harmoniously from morning till evening. Whenever entering the Tu Lou, you can immediately feel the deep sense of the harmonious atmosphere and the broadness and steadiness of history.

How to get there:

There are three ways to visit the special building.

First, travelers can take a bus (Jinfeng line: From Yongding to Xiayang) from Yongding Bus Station. The early bus departs at 6:20 and the late bus stop at 17: 20, every 20 minutes a bus. The bus goes through the following stops, Yuantou Hill, Lie Shi, Qi Ling and Shuang Yang.

Second, the bus (form Yongding to Gao Tou) can also take travelers to there. The early bus starts at 7:25, the late bus at 16:30. Stops are as follows, Lie Shi, Qi Ling, Da Xi and Hu Ken.

The third line (from Yongding to Hu ken) starts at 9:30 and ends at 15:00. Stops are as follows, Lie Shi, Qi Ling, Da Xi and Hu Ken.

Travelers can also chart vehicles; a minbus with eleven seats costs 400 Yuan per day, one with seven seats 300 Yuan; the price for charting a car is relatively high, 150-200 Yuan per day; a motorcycle needs 100 Yuan per day.