Family fortresses
In the mountains of south east China are nestled the Fujian Tulou – huge earthen buildings that appeared in their earliest form around 1000 years ago, and which were developed partly as defensive castles, partly as mini-villages for whole clans.
These vast structures, which according to UNESCO were known as “a little kingdom for the family,” are still in use by people today – like this man brushing his teeth.
In 2008, UNESCO added 46 Fujian Tulou to its World Heritage list. The organisation has praised, among other things, “their harmonious relationship with their environment.”
UNESCO has also praised the Tulou for their outstanding historical and cultural value and their impressive size and building techniques.
The cultural organisation notes that the Tulou were built to house whole clans of up to 800 people.
A woman washes vegetables inside a Fujian Tulou in Nanjing county.
A man cleans the ground inside a Tulou with a water hose.
A woman cooks dinner inside a Tulou in Tianluokeng village.
Visitors take pictures outside a Fujian Tulou at night.
