Fujian Tulou
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, Fujian Toulou are traditional circular Hakka houses. Most of the tulou are found in a relatively small geographical area, straddling the boundary between the Yongding and Nanjing counties, Fujian province.
The people of Fujian first built strongholds on top of mountains to repel the bandits that wrought havoc in southern China from the 12th to 19th centuries. The Tulou evolved from these strongholds. The Tulou are large, rectangular or circular structures with thick walls and a shared courtyard in the center. They are three to five stories high and can house up to 100 families. The Tulou were designed to be impenetrable, using only one main gate guarded by 4-5 inch thick wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate.
Notable Fujian tulous include Chuxi Tulou cluster, Zhencheng lou, Chengqi lou and Tianluokeng Tulou cluster.