CITY · FUJIAN
Yongding
永定 · Yǒngdìng
Overview
A Hakka county in western Fujian containing the largest concentration of tulou — circular and square earthen fortress buildings of the Hakka people — inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Yongding District of Longyan city in western Fujian is the heartland of the Fujian tulou — large communal earthen buildings of the Hakka people that were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The tulou (literally, earthen buildings) are communal fortified residences typically built in circular, square or oval plans, with thick rammed-earth outer walls and internal rings of wooden residential units arranged around a central courtyard. A single building housed an entire clan — sometimes hundreds of people — with a shared well, ancestral hall and food storage integrated into the structure.
The Hakka people (Kejia — Guest Families) are a Han Chinese sub-group who migrated south from northern China over several waves between the 4th and 17th centuries, settling in the mountainous western zones of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi. The tulou architecture represents a response to the need for defensive communal living in the mountain frontier zones where bandits, wild animals and inter-clan violence were historical concerns. The buildings range in date from the Song dynasty to the 20th century; many are still inhabited.
The main tulou cluster in Yongding is the Hongkeng Tulou Cluster in Hongkeng Village, which contains the most photographed examples: the Fuyu Lou (round), the Rusheng Lou and others. The Chuxi Tulou Cluster offers a more remote and less-visited alternative with equally impressive examples.
Longyan city (the district seat) and Xiamen are the main transportation hubs for Yongding.
Cultural & access notes
The inhabited tulou are people's homes. Residents are present; treat the buildings with the respect you would offer to someone's house rather than a museum. The Hakka identity is a source of pride — the culture spread from these mountain communities across southeast Asia and further afield. Many overseas Chinese of Hakka descent visit Yongding as a form of ancestral pilgrimage.
What to see
- Hongkeng Tulou Cluster — the main scenic area with the most famous circular and square tulou
- Fuyu Lou — the most photographed round tulou, with five concentric rings
- Chengqi Lou — called the 'king of round tulou' at 62.6 metres in diameter
- Chuxi Tulou Cluster — a more remote group of tulou with fewer visitors
- Hakka customs museum within Hongkeng — exhibits on Hakka history and tulou construction
- Inhabited tulou life — many buildings remain residential, with elderly residents in residence year-round
What to eat
- Hakka salt-baked chicken — the quintessential Hakka dish
- Yam taro stew — a Hakka highland staple
- Braised pork knuckle with preserved vegetables — a rich Hakka slow-cook dish
- Fermented tofu (fu ru) — Hakka preserved bean curd with a sharp fermented flavour
- Rice wine and grain spirits — produced in the mountain counties
Getting there
From Xiamen, direct coaches to Yongding take about 2.5 hours [VERIFY: current schedules — May 2026]. From Longyan station (on the Xiamen-Longyan railway), a local bus or taxi covers the 60 km to the Hongkeng cluster. From Fuzhou or Quanzhou, Longyan is the transit hub. No airport serves Yongding directly; Xiamen Gaoqi (XMN) is the main gateway airport.
Getting around
The main tulou clusters are grouped — Hongkeng is navigable on foot once inside. The Chuxi cluster is 14 km away and requires transport. Tourist shuttle buses connect the main clusters. Hiring a driver for a day covers the major sites efficiently.
Where to stay
Guesthouses within the tulou buildings themselves are available in Hongkeng — staying inside a working tulou is the recommended experience. Longyan city and Xiamen offer the full range of hotel options.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
April–May and October–November are ideal — mild temperatures, clear skies, no heavy rain. Summer (June–August) is hot and wet but the tulou villages are green and atmospheric. Winter is cool but the sites remain accessible.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥200 |
| Mid-range | ¥420 |
| Comfortable | ¥800 |
Safety notes
The tulou interior wooden structures are old — take care on upper-level walkways, which may have limited balustrades. The earth walls of the buildings are genuinely fragile historic structures; do not touch, scratch or chip the earthen walls.
Itineraries visiting Yongding
Food of Eastern China
- Beggar's Chicken叫花鸡
A whole chicken stuffed with aromatics, wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, then slow-baked until the meat steams in its own juices.
- Beggar's Chicken — Jiaohuaji叫花鸡 (江苏式)
A Jiangsu-province variation of clay-baked chicken with a lotus-leaf wrap and a mushroom and pork stuffing.
- Dragon Well Tea龙井茶
China's most celebrated green tea — pan-fired flat leaves from Hangzhou's West Lake district with a sweet, chestnut flavour.
- Drunken Chicken醉鸡
Chicken steamed and marinated in Shaoxing rice wine, served chilled. A Shanghai banquet starter.
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