Hongkeng Tulou Cluster (Folk Culture Village)

Hongkeng Tulou Cluster (Folk Culture Village)

The Hongkeng Tulou Cluster (Folk Culture Village) is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The Hongkeng Tulou Cluster is located in Hongkeng Village, northeast of Hukeng Town, about 45 kilometers from the county seat. In the 13th century (late Song and early Yuan dynasties), the Lin clan established their settlement here. By the year 2000, 638 households with 2,310 people resided within the tulou complex. The square-shaped tulous Chongyu Lou and Nanchang Lou, built during the clan’s initial settlement, have collapsed. Currently, there are 13 relatively large tulous from the Ming Dynasty such as Fengsheng Lou and Yongyuan Lou, and 33 sizable tulous from the Qing Dynasty including Fuyu Lou, Kuiju Lou, Yanglin Lou, and Zhongzhu Lou.

The tulous come in various shapes, mainly square, rectangular, circular, Five Phoenix Hall style, semicircular, and their variations. Additionally, there are earthen structures such as the Tin Hau Temple, Xinri School, Lin Clan Ancestral Hall, and Guan Di Temple. Kuiju Lou, Fuyu Lou, Rusheng Lou, and Zhencheng Lou are outstanding representatives of this tulou cluster. Among them, Zhencheng Lou, Fuyu Lou, and Kuiju Lou were designated as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council in May 2001.

The Hongkeng Stream runs from north to south through the village, flanked by towering mountains and lush forests. The area along the stream is long and narrow. A total of 123 tulous are built along the stream, including 58 from the Ming and Qing dynasties. This tulou cluster features a rich variety of types and high-quality structures, embodying profound cultural significance. The layout of the tulous is well-planned, forming picturesque and harmoniously colored scenery with the surrounding woods, streams, and natural villages.

The Hongkeng Tulou Cluster is one of the “three clusters and two tulous” in Yongding, specifically referred to as “one cluster.” It includes Yucheng Lou, Qingcheng Lou, Zhencheng Lou, Yongyuan Lou, Fuxing Lou, Jingyang Lou, Yanglin Lou, Chaoyang Lou, Qingfu Lou, Guangyu Lou, Jiusheng Lou, Fuyu Lou, Kuiju Lou, Rusheng Lou, Wansheng Lou, Shangde Lou, Hui’e Lou, Qingyi Lou, Yongchang Lou, Yongcheng Lou, Fuxing Lou, and Jiyuan Lou. The square-shaped tulous Chongyu Lou and Nanchang Lou, initially built by the Lin ancestors, have collapsed. The existing Ming Dynasty tulous of significant size include 13 such as Fengsheng Lou and Yongyuan Lou, and 33 larger Qing Dynasty tulous including Fuyu Lou, Kuiju Lou, Yanglin Lou, and Zhongzhu Lou.

Zhencheng Lou

Zhencheng Lou covers an area of 5,000 square meters and features a flush-gable, post-and-lintel construction. It is divided into inner and outer rings, creating a pattern of tulous within tulous. The outer ring has four floors with 48 rooms on each floor, designed according to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) layout, with six rooms per trigram. The trigrams are interconnected via arched gates. Inside, there is one central hall, two wells, three gates, and eight units. The ancestral hall resembles a stage, with four large stone pillars about 2 meters in circumference and nearly 7 meters tall standing in front. Thirty rooms on both levels flank the stage, forming an inner ring.

Zhencheng Lou is situated in the central-southern part of Hongkeng Village. It was built in the first year of the Republic of China (1912) by Lin Hongchao and his brothers of the 21st generation of the Hongkeng Lin clan. Commonly known as the Bagua Lou (Eight Trigrams Building), it is famed for its opulence and exquisitely varied interior spatial design. Some architectural elements—such as its partial style and the colors used for the gate, inner walls, ancestral hall, and decorative walls—boldly adopt the Western architectural principle of unity in diversity, achieving an exceptional aesthetic realm. It is hailed as a masterpiece of earthen residential architecture that blends Chinese and Western influences.

The building faces south and covers approximately 5,000 square meters. It consists of two concentric circular tulous. The outer ring is made of earth and wood, has four floors, a diameter of 57.2 meters, and features an internal corridor. It has a double-sloped tiled roof and a mixed wooden frame structure of mortise-and-tenon and post-and-lintel construction.

The interior follows the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) principles from the traditional Chinese I Ching. It is divided into eight units by blue brick firewalls, with the building radiating into eight equal sections representing Qian, Dui, Kun, Li, Xun, Zhen, Gen, and Kan. Each section begins with six rooms representing one trigram. Each trigram can function as an independent courtyard when the doors are closed, but all sections connect when the doors are open. There are 208 rooms in total—2 rooms and 44 rooms per floor. On the ground floor, each unit forms a courtyard together with the inner ring courtyard.

Each unit’s blue brick partition wall has arched gates ensuring unobstructed access along the inner corridor on every floor. No windows are found on the ground and second floors—the ground floor serves as kitchen and dining areas, while the second is for grain storage. The third and fourth floors are bedrooms. The inner corridor on the ground floor is paved with lime concrete, while thinner blue bricks are used on upper floors for sound insulation and fireproofing. The eaves of the inner corridors on the third and fourth floors are adorned with exquisite wooden railings in a garden style. The outer ring has four staircases, with paired side doors on the east and west sides providing symmetrical access directly to the wing rooms on either side of the tulou.

The side doors have granite door frames with iron-plated door leaves. The main gate and entrance hall are aligned along the central axis. The main gate also has a granite frame with iron-covered leaves, and its lintel is inscribed with the building’s name, flanked by a couplet: “Uphold principles and establish order; cultivate virtue and nurture talent.”

The inner ring has two floors, is built of brick and wood, and contains two halls and eight rooms per floor. It also features a double-sloped tiled roof and a mixed wooden frame of mortise-and-tenon and post-and-lintel styles, with an internal corridor. It encloses the main hall of the entire building—the ancestral hall—with a granite-paved courtyard in between. No windows are on the ground floor. Aside from the back (north-facing) ancestral hall and the halls and stairwells on the east, west, and south sides, other rooms are larger and serve as living rooms or banquet halls. Their doors are hinged wooden panels, with the upper sections made of wooden slats to allow ventilation and daylight. When fully opened, the doors transform enclosed spaces into open ones.

The rear of the outer ring is a spacious hall, which together with the inner ring’s rear wall and the blue brick partitions forms a courtyard. In front of the hall is a courtyard, with arched gates on both sides connecting to the inner corridor of the outer ring. A Guanyin shrine is enshrined inside the hall. The back wall of the hall features a hanging wooden couplet: “When striving, when is there leisure? Whether young, middle-aged, or old, one must always strive. Achieving fame is easy—whether family, national, or world affairs, all must be cared for.”

The hall on the south side of the inner ring occupies the space of about two rooms and is also called the central hall or middle hall. It lies along the central axis. Between its rear and the inner ring corridor, eight carved wooden hinged doors act as both a central gate and a screen. In the past, this central gate was usually closed, only opened during major festivals or for receiving distinguished guests. It also serves as the direct passage from the outer ring to the inner ring.

On the south side is the inner ring’s main gate, directly facing the tulou’s main gate. It has a stone frame, and its lintel bears a plaque inscribed by Li Yuanhong, then President of the Republic of China. The plaque is flanked by a couplet: “Devote yourself to national affairs, study the books of sages.” Stone steps are placed before the threshold, with corridors on both sides of the front courtyard leading to the outer ring. The east and west side halls of the inner ring, symmetrically placed, are also called “lu halls,” and serve as main connectors between the inner and outer rings in the east-west direction. The eastern one is Chao Lu Hall, and the western is Xing Lu Hall, both facing their respective side doors. Stone inscriptions on their pillars read: “Revitalize your spirit to shoulder the world’s burdens, achieve deeds to bequeath prosperity to descendants.” and “Awaken the golden cord of wisdom, behold the true visage of Mount Lu.” The former is the handwriting of Li Ruiqing, a leading figure among China’s Five Great Calligraphers in the early 20th century.

The inner ring’s main gate, along with the corridors on both sides and the gate hall, enclose the front courtyard, forming an independent yard. The inner and outer rings are separated by courtyards, creating multiple enclosed spaces. There is also a pair of wells, one on each east and west side at the rear, commonly called Yin-Yang Wells. The flower beds in the courtyard blend seamlessly with the inner yard, reflecting a garden-style layout.

The inner corridor on the second floor of the inner ring is adorned with exquisitely decorated Western-style cast-iron railings. The rooms on the second floor were historically used to receive guests. The front section facing south is the broad hall, equal in size to the middle hall below, but the flooring of the inner corridor’s front segment on this floor is 0.2 meters higher than the side segments on the same level, serving as VIP seating for the building owner’s elders and distinguished guests during performances.

The ancestral hall is particularly eye-catching, located at the rear (north side) of the inner ring. Its central hall is two stories high, with a roof even taller than that of the inner ring. Four Western-style round granite pillars, reaching up to the hall’s eaves, stand in front. The hall’s front sides feature granite railings, with an opening in the center connected to the stone-stepped central courtyard paved with lime concrete, also reflecting ancient Greek architectural features. The front is open, while the rear has brick archways on both sides connecting to the outer ring corridor. The rear and side walls display numerous inscriptions and calligraphy works by notable figures.

Unlike ancestral halls in other tulous, this one not only showcases a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles, but also serves as a public venue for clan meetings, weddings and funerals, receiving guests, banquets, and even performances. The four stone pillars in front of the ancestral hall have couplets inscribed on their sides: “Uplift your family’s reputation—start by practicing filial piety and fraternal duty. Achieve success—come through diligence and thrift.” and “One must not let setbacks crush one’s will, nor let comfort breed complacency. As an official, do not take a single unjust coin; at home, waste not a single penny.”

This building pioneered the integration of Western architectural culture into Hakka roundhouse design, influencing later constructions in Yongding. In 1985, a model of the tulou was exhibited at the International Architectural Model Exhibition in Los Angeles, USA, as one of China’s representative architectural models.

Kuiju Lou

Kuiju Lou is located in the northwest of Hongkeng Village and was completed in 1834 during the 14th year of the Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty. It faces south and covers an area of about 6,000 square meters, featuring a three-courtyard, two-wing layout. Along the central axis from south to north are the main gate, gate hall, courtyard, middle hall, another courtyard, main hall (front hall of the ancestral hall), and the ancestral hall itself, with wing buildings on both sides. The main building is square, made of earth and wood, 33 meters wide and 31 meters deep, with 1.5-meter-thick walls on the ground floor. It has an internal corridor and a mixed wooden frame of mortise-and-tenon and post-and-lintel styles. The front section is three stories high, the rear four stories, creating a significant height difference. The front section has no windows on the first and second floors, and neither do the first three floors of the rear section due to its proximity to the mountain. The entire building has only one main gate.

The roofs of the front and rear buildings are divided into three segments with gable-and-hip designs, while the roofs of the wing buildings on both sides are suspended and stepped. The ground floor of the main building is used for kitchens and dining, the second for grain storage, and the upper floors for bedrooms. The front and rear sections of the wing buildings are separated by brick firewalls from the ground to the third floor, with internal corridors connected via arched brick gates. The two brick walls are also the dividing line between the front and rear buildings. The ground floor corridor is paved with pebbles, while the upper floors use thin blue bricks for fireproofing. The ancestral hall is located along the central axis of the rear building and occupies a more prominent position than in other tulous. The inner courtyard includes a small enclosed yard formed by the front hall and middle hall corridors of the ancestral hall, all opening toward the central courtyard, surrounded by wing rooms.

The floors of the ancestral hall and wing rooms are paved with lime concrete. The left and right wing rooms serve as bathrooms and toilets, and each also has a well. The wells are located within open wing rooms, with a small opening in the roof above each well to allow daylight and facilitate water drawing in the rain. The ancestral hall is richly carved, with its front hall being a two-story, pavilion-style building with a double-eave gable-and-hip roof, connected to the lower eaves of the rear building. The second-floor canopy hall, called “Dunli Tang,” is elaborately decorated, with a plaque inscribed “Xuan Kui” (Selected Elite) hung under its flying eaves, awarded to the building owner Lin Kuixiang after he passed the imperial examinations. The midsection of the fourth-floor eaves of the rear building protrudes slightly, creating a four-tiered roofline for the ancestral hall’s front, making it majestic and leading many to liken the building to a Tibetan Potala Palace.

Fuyu Lou

Fuyu Lou is a representative of the Yongding mansion-style tulou, covering an area of over 7,000 square meters. It has three main gates, with smaller gates separating the main building from the wing rooms, creating a unified exterior but three distinct interior units. The building’s entrance plaza and walls are paved with local river stones, finely crafted and blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings. Its shape resembles three mountains, symbolizing the “Three Mountains” of the three Lin brothers who owned it. The building covers over 6,000 square meters and is about 15 meters tall, with a higher central hall and lower side wings.

FuYu Building is located in the northern part of Hongkeng Village, adjacent to the east of Hongchuan Stream. Constructed in the sixth year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1880), it faces east and covers an area of approximately 4,000 square meters. It features a three-courtyard, four-section mansion-style layout (a Five Phoenix Tower). The central axis runs from east to west and includes, in sequence: the front courtyard, inner gate, entrance hall, front patio, central hall (ancestral hall), rear patio, and rear hall. The building is 45 meters wide and 37 meters deep, with the rear side measuring 41.4 meters wide, where both corners of the back wall are inset by 1.8 meters each, with the inset sections extending 9 meters deep. The building houses a total of 166 rooms, 22 halls, 28 staircases, 6 patios, 2 side gates, 2 wells, and 6 bathrooms.

The main structure, consisting of the front and rear buildings along with the side wings, is one floor higher than a typical Five Phoenix Tower, giving it enhanced defensive capabilities. The rear building is one step higher than the central hall, while the middle building is two steps higher than the front building. Both the front and rear buildings are constructed of earth and wood, with lime-plastered walls, and are connected to the side wings. The front building has two stories, the rear building has five and a half stories, and the side wings have five stories. The interior follows a corridor-style layout with hip-and-gable roofs and a mixed wooden frame structure of post-and-lintel and bracket sets. The ground floor of the rear building includes kitchens, dining areas, and living rooms; the second floor holds grain storage; and the floors above are bedrooms. The front building’s ground floor contains the entrance hall and side rooms, while the second floor has bedrooms. The middle building’s ground floor comprises the ancestral hall, side rooms, and passageways, with the second and third floors housing the Guanyin Hall and bedrooms.

The main structure is divided vertically from west to east into a central section and southern and northern sections. Each section’s front building has a gate—the central one being the main gate, while the side ones are ceremonial gates, slightly smaller than the main gate. The front building’s main gate features a granite frame with engraved couplets.

On either side of the building’s entrance hall are side rooms, and behind the hall stands a double-panel, three-panel screen as tall as the first floor. This screen serves both as a central door and a screen wall, with six hinged door panels whose upper sections are carved with gilded patterns. Behind the screen lies a rectangular patio paved with lime concrete. Small doors are located on either side of the screen, connecting to corridors on both sides of the central patio (ancestral hall). These corridors are wider than others and can be used for banquets, with small doors leading to the side wings at the widened front sections. Ascending two steps behind the corridors leads to the central hall corridor, with doors on either side opening to the side wings. The central hall, serving as the ancestral hall, is built of brick and wood, tall and spacious, with its entrance facing the front patio and standing over a meter higher than other rooms in the building. It is elaborately decorated with carved beams and painted rafters.

The front (building) and middle (building) halls feature flush gable and hip roofs with cut eaves, while the rear (building) hall has a flush gable and hip roof with flush eaves, all adorned with upturned corners. The roofs of the front, middle, and rear halls are divided into three tiers, rising progressively from front to back, with a steeper slope than other types of earthen buildings, giving them a more majestic appearance.

RuSheng Building

RuSheng Building is a petite and exquisite circular earthen building among the many in Yongding, commonly known as the “Rice Measure Building.” It has a single-ring structure, with a perimeter of only 56.6 meters and a diameter of 18.2 meters. The inner patio is circular, and the inner edge of the roof tiles forms an eight-trigram pattern, while the outer edge is circular.

QingCheng Building

QingCheng Building is situated in the southeastern part of Hongkeng Village, southeast of ZhenCheng Building, and was built in the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937). It is a square-shaped earthen building, facing southwest and covering an area of about 1,100 square meters. The three-story building is seven bays wide and six bays deep, with a central patio, an interior corridor layout, no windows on the first and second floors, four staircases throughout, one main gate, one well, and the rear hall serving as the ancestral hall.

Address: Hongkeng Village, Hukeng Town, Yongding County, Longyan City

Transportation: Tickets to Hukeng Tulou Cultural Village can be purchased at Yongding Bus Station

Ticket: 90 RMB; Member price: 85 RMB

Opening hours: 7:00–19:00

Hongkeng Village: Located in the northeastern part of Hukeng Town, about 5 kilometers from Hukeng Township, Hongkeng Village is one of the key villages of the Fujian (Yongding) Tulou World Cultural Heritage site. It is a renowned tulou folk culture village, a provincial-level garden-style village, and the site of a national 5A-level tourist attraction. It has been honored as the Ninth Municipal Civilized Village, Provincial Health Village, Fujian’s Most Beautiful Village, Provincial-Level Civilized Scenic Area, Tenth Provincial Civilized Village, Key Village of the City’s New Rural “427” Construction Project, and a “Cross-Strait Exchange Base.” The village covers a total land area of 7,117 mu and has a population of 2,910.

Hongkeng Village... More details about Hongkeng Village++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

Fujian Tulou

Fujian Tulou (Yongding) Tourist Scenic Area

Gaobei Tulou Cluster (Tulou King Scenic Area)

Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster

Hekeng Tulou Cluster

Chuxi Tulou Cluster

Kuizhai Building

Dadi Tulou Cluster (Hua’an Tulou)

FuYu Building

Guangyu Building

RuSheng Building

FuXing Building

QingCheng Building