Fujian Tulou
This incredible house - architecture is called as Fujian Tulou. It is located in the mountainous regions and is the best preserved example of the earthen houses in China. Fujian Tulou is a property of 46 buildings constructed between the 15th and 20th centuries.
Fujian architecture is the symbol of harmonious relationships with the environment; Tulou becomes an outstanding Illustration of human settlement. Several storeys high, they are built along an internal-looking, circular or square square floor plan. Each storey houses 100 families which count up to 800 people.
They use wooden floor boards, ridgepoles and girders and are covered with a tiled roof. They were built for defense purposes around a central open courtyard with only one entrance and windows to the outside. Housing a whole clan, the houses function as village units and were known as "a little kingdom for the family" or "bustling small city".
A common characteristic of these houses is the long construction period which usually lasted two or three years. The resulting structures are proof against wind, water and earthquakes. Another characteristic feature is their ordinary arrangement of the rooms.
