Nanjiang Scenic Area of Yongding Tulou

The most famous tulou in Fujian are the Yongding Tulou. The Nanjiang Scenic Area of Yongding Tulou is located in Nanjiang Village at the heart of the "Tulou Valley" landscape in Nanxi, Hukeng Town, Yongding District, Longyan, Fujian. With a history of 600 years, the village features verdant trees, streams, terraced rice fields, and classic, ancient tulou that highlight the distinctive character of a traditional Hakka village.

Covering only 5.5 square kilometers, Nanjiang Village contains over 30 well-preserved buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including residences, ancestral halls, study rooms, and ancient wells. The village has 23 tulou, each with diverse architectural styles and forms.

Many tulou in Nanjiang Village are named with the character “庆” (celebration), such as Xianqing Lou, Yuqing Lou, Huanqing Lou, Tianqing Lou, and Xingqing Lou. There are also names like Zhenyang Lou, Fuxing Lou, and Jingxun Lou, which carry rich cultural meanings. Among them, the most distinctive are the “Tianyi Lou” and “Dongcheng Lou.”

Originally called Yuanju Lou, Tianyi Lou was built in 1915, covering an area of 1,200 square meters and shaped like an oval. The name comes from the fact that two streams embrace the building, with clear water flowing around and merging into one. However, a devastating fire in 1929 caused extensive damage. Later, the 26th-generation ancestor of the Jiang family rebuilt it on the original site and renamed it “Tianyi Lou,” meaning “Heaven Generates Water,” hoping that water would counteract fire and bring divine protection to the building.

Built in 1843, Dongcheng Lou is situated at Qiaozitou in Nanjiang Village, facing west and occupying about 2,400 square meters. It is an octagonal earthen building with a timber-and-earth structure. According to accounts, the building’s name was personally inscribed by the Qing Dynasty Hanlin academician Wu Yifu. Dongcheng Lou was originally planned to be a square tulou, but one corner pointed directly toward the tomb of Huangpo Tai in the village. The tomb was designed in the shape of a descending tiger, and the corner of the building resembled an arrow aimed at the tiger’s head—sparking a dispute. The builders wanted to proceed, but the tomb owner objected, leading to rising tensions. Eventually, a mediator suggested inviting the Hanlin scholar Wu Yifu to resolve the issue. After hearing both sides, he proposed a compromise: the builders agreed to cut off the corner aiming at the tomb. To improve the building’s appearance and harmony, they also trimmed the other three corners, resulting in the only octagonal tulou among Yongding Tulou.

Nanjiang Village also offers a unique sight: the “Daughter Forest.” It is said that over 400 years ago, village girls, in gratitude for their parents’ hard work traveling mountain paths to tend the fields, planted a pine tree on the day of their wedding feast, accompanied by siblings or parents. These trees provided shade along the paths for their parents and served as a heartfelt symbol of their attachment to their homeland.

Today, the 3.5-kilometer-long mountain path is covered in lush greenery, with over 3,000 pine and jujube trees lining both sides, the oldest of which is more than 400 years old. Many of the treetops are adorned with bright red ribbons. Villagers say the ribbons represent longing and gratitude—and even during times when tree theft was rampant, no one dared touch the “Daughter Forest.”

During major traditional festivals every year, villagers who have moved away or their descendants return to walk along the mountain path beneath the Daughter Forest and replace the red ribbons on the trees planted by their ancestors.

(Image source: Official website of the Longyan Yongding District Committee)