In the respect of the number of Tulou, Nanjing Tulou compares unfavorably with Yongding Tulou, however, Nanjing Tulou enjoys the same reputation of Nanjing Tulou as it is good at providing tour packages of Tulou and ancient villages to enrich people’s travel experience. The major sites of Nanjing Tulou Scenic Areas are scattered in a circle and the upper part with Tianluokeng Scenic Area is the Route A while the lower part with Yunshuiyao Scenic Area is the route B. Enjoying a location closer to Xiamen City, Nanjing Tulou is more popular for those who want a Tulou day tour from Xiamen.
Top 2 Tulou Complexes in Yongding Scenic Area
Highlights: Classic Tulou complex, specular circular Tulou, an ancient water village
Major Sites: Yuchanglou, Taxia Village
Tianloukeng wins its loud fame in the unparalleled overviews of the Tulou group: one Tulou sits in the middle and the other four Tulou cluster together around it. Maybe you have seen the scene many times in those classic publicity photos of Tulou, but it’s still astonishing when you stand on the Upper Viewing Platform to behold the UFO-like Tulou buildings. That’s not a joke. These Tulou buildings had been thought of as nuclear bases by the CIA. From the Lower Viewing Platform, you could catch the sights of Tulou from a closer angle.
Yuchanglou is the most famous Tulou in Tianluokeng. You might think it too common with nothing special when seeing Yuchanglou from outside, but you will realize that you were wrong once you step into the gate: the columns on the corridors are slanted! How could such a huge building be supported by lean columns? Stay calm and do not worry about the safety to keep visiting here. Yuchanglou has suffered from rain, wind, and earthquakes in the past 700 years but still survived well. Taxia Village depicts a picturesque countryside view where the visitors could get real relief from their busy life and work. A stream meanders out from the valley, the beautiful bridges are over it every other mile, and ducks are chasing one after another in the water…the 42 Tulou buildings stand in such a peaceful environment to witness how their people make life and development for generations. Deyuantang (Zhang’s Family Temple) is an outstanding view of Taxia Village. Through the grand building and beautiful decorations inside, you can read the ever glory of this large family.
Major Sites: Yunshuiyao, Heguilou, Huaiyuanlou
Yunshuiyao, the ever name of Changjiao Village, has been well-known in China mainly because the Movie Yunshuiyao had been shot here. Different from those archaic villages or towns, the dwelling houses, streets, markets, trees along the roads, and the scattered Tulou in Yunshuiyao could be traced with profound histories.
A must-do thing in Heguilou is to jump at the patio of the internal yard, you will find the ground paved by cobblestone shakes-this Tulou was built on the marsh! Impossible, right? But the ancient craftsmen did make the impossible possible! They took the water-proof pines as the bottom foundation and covered stonework on it to solve the problem. Huaiyuanlou had been a private school for large families in ancient times where you still find many relics and learn about the private education culture of ancient Chinese families.
Learn more about Fujian Tulou Clusters.
