Where is Fujian Nanjing Tulou? Which Fujian Nanjing Tulou do you recommend?

Fujian Tulou are primarily found in Yongding District, Longyan City, and Nanjing County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. These two areas are also major components of the Fujian Tulou Tourist Area.

The Fujian Tulou (Nanjing) Scenic Area, located in Shuyang Town and Meilin Town, Nanjing County, Zhangzhou City, is home to the famous Tianluokeng Tulou complex, considered a landmark of Fujian Tulou and commonly known as the "Four Dishes and One Soup." These buildings were constructed according to the layout outlined in the Kaogongji Tu, resulting in a unique architectural composition.
 

 

Where is Fujian Nanjing Tulou?

The most elaborate Tulou area in Nanjing County is called Tianluoken Tulou Area. When you stand on the hill of Nanshan District, you can see four round Tulous and a square Tulou built along the hill ridge, with the rice terraces as the background, a wonderful scene. And the highest Tulou in Nanjing county called "Hegui Tulou”. Although it is built on the wetland, it seems beging built with a solid foundation.

 

♦ Recommended Round Tulou:
Shunyu Tulou in Nanjing County (The largest round Tulou in Nanjing County)
Located in Shiqiao Village, Shuyang Town, Shunyu Tulou is the largest round Tulou in Nanjing County. With an outer diameter of 74 meters and over 4,000㎡ of space, it houses 372 rooms—enough to take over a year to occupy one per day! Built with a three-ring structure and reinforced with sticky rice mortar, this Ming Dynasty masterpiece showcases Hakka communal living. Its central ancestral hall remains a hub for rituals, while the outer walls stand firm after centuries, a testament to ancient engineering. A must-visit for its sheer scale and historical resilience.
 

• Location: Shiqiao Village, Shuyang Town (南靖县书洋镇石桥村)
• Features: With an outer diameter of 74 meters and a total area of over 4,000㎡ (6 basketball courts), it contains 372 rooms—enough to take over a year to stay in each room consecutively!
• Architecture: Built with a three-ring structure and sticky rice mortar (糯米灰浆), it has stood firm for centuries.

♦ Recommended Square Shape Tulou:
Hegui Tulou in Nanjing County (A square shape Tulou built on the wetland)
Nicknamed the "Leaning Tower of Fujian," Yuchang Tulou in Xiaban Village is a 700-year-old marvel. Its 3rd–5th floor pillars tilt up to 15° east and west, creating a dramatic, precarious appearance that defies logic—yet it has survived earthquakes and time. Featured in the film Big Fish & Begonia, this UNESCO site blends architectural daring with mythic allure. Inside, spiral staircases and weathered wooden beams tell tales of Hakka adaptability. Don’t miss the "East-West Tilt" exhibit explaining its structural mystery.

• Location: Pushan Village, Meilin Town (南靖县梅林镇璞山村)
• Features:
  • Built on a swamp with a foundation of 200+ pine logs (resistant to decay and deformation).
  • Survived multiple earthquakes; its ground still feels slightly springy when stepped on.
  • Contains two wells: one clear, one turbid (known as "Yin-Yang Wells").

♦ Recommended Tulou Clusters:
Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster in Nanjing County (Four Dishes and One Soup)
Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster (田螺坑土楼群) is the must-see attraction if you have a Tulou tour. There are 5 Tulou inside, four are in round shape and one is in square shape, thus got the name “Four Dishes and One Soup”. It is well-preserved and with a little commercial atmosphere. But the locals still keep their lifestyle and are shy to visitors.


 

• "Four Dishes and One Soup"
  • Location: Tianluokeng Village, Shuyang Town (南靖县书洋镇田螺坑村)
  • Features:
    • Five Tulou in total: 4 round + 1 square, arranged in a pattern symbolizing "gold, wood, water, fire, earth."
    • Best viewed from Nanshan Hill’s overlook at dusk for stunning lighting.
  • Ticket: ¥100/adult (includes Tianluokeng, Yuchang Tulou, and Taxia Village—2024 rate).

Hekeng Tulou Cluster in Nanjing County (Big Dipper)
Hekeng Tulou Cluster (河坑土楼群) is one of the most magnificent Tulou clusters in Fujian. The best way to take photos of it is to climb up in a high place. The tulou here connected with the natural scenery harmoniously which seems the tulou just grows from the ground. To look down from a high place, Xiaochun Tulou, Dongsheng Tulou, Yangshuo Tulou, Chungui Tulou, Yuchang Tulou, Yuxing Tulou, these seven tulous form into a patter which look like the Big Dipper in the sky.

 

• The Big Dipper on Earth
  • Location: Qujiang Village, Shuyang Town (南靖县书洋镇曲江村)
  • Features:
    • Seven square Tulou (Ming-Qing Dynasty) and seven round Tulou (modern) form two "Big Dipper" patterns.
    • Less touristy, offering authentic Hakka village life; climb the overlook for panoramic photos.
• Ticket: ¥90/adult (2024 rate).

Taxia Village (塔下村)

Not a Tulou but a must-visit, Taxia Village in Shuyang Town charms with stone bridges, winding streams, and 15 ancestral halls lining the river. Nicknamed the "Zhouzhuang of Southern Fujian," it offers tranquility away from crowds. Paddle a bamboo raft, learn to brew Hakka rice wine, or hike to the Deyuan Tang archway, a UNESCO-listed landmark. Stay in a riverside guesthouse to soak in sunset views over tiled rooftops—a serene complement to Tulou explorations.


 

• "The Zhouzhuang of Southern Fujian"
  • Location: Shuyang Town
  • Features: A tranquil riverside village with 15 ancestral halls, stone arch bridges, and bamboo groves. Experience Hakka rice wine brewing and traditional crafts.
     

Huaiyuan Tulou (怀远楼)

In Kanxia Village, Huaiyuan Tulou stands as Nanjing’s best-preserved double-ring round Tulou. Built in 1905, its name honors ancestral roots in Henan’s Huaiqing Prefecture. The inner ring’s "Si Shi Shi" hall features carved beams and calligraphy, while a clever "water buffer wall" above the gate protects against fire attacks. With only 34 rooms, it exudes intimacy, making it ideal for the curious to admire Hakka craftsmanship up close—from the intricate door motifs to the communal well at its center.


 

• The Best-Preserved Double-Ring Tulou
  • Location: Kanxia Village, Shuyang Town
  • Features:
    • Name means "cherishing distant relatives" and "remembering ancestral roots" (owners originated from Huaiqing, Henan).
    • A "water buffer wall" above the gate protects against fire attacks—ancient fireproofing wisdom.
       

Recommended Tulou Tour: 5 Days Xiamen City and Tulou Tour Highlights: Gulangyu Island, Nanjing Tulou (Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster), Yongding Tulou (Zhengcheng Tulou, Kuiju Tulou)