The Liu Family Earthen Fortress

The Liu Family Earthen Fortress

As the saying goes: "See not the Hakka people, but first their Hakka towers." The Liu Family Earthen Fortress, known as a tulou among the Hakka people, is located by the roadside at the entrance of Jishan Village. It lies along the route to Baoying Temple, Lower Jishan, and Chungu Villa. The Wen Chuan Stream flows past the vegetable garden behind the fortress. Built during the Qing Dynasty by the son of Liu Qizhong from Jishan, the fortress covers an area of 2000 square meters, stands about 8 meters high, with walls approximately 1 meter thick, and is constructed of earth and timber. Above, there is a 1-meter-wide corridor that encircles the building. During the War of Resistance against Japan, it served as the office of the Forestry Affairs Bureau under the Provincial Improvement Office.

During the Qing Dynasty, Jishan Village originally had three earthen fortresses (one small one was located on the hillside behind the local distillery but was later demolished due to construction). Another round-domed fortress stood on the mountain opposite the Wenchang Pavilion in Lower Jishan. Originally, it was an ornamental feature complementing the feng shui of the tomb of Liu Qicai, a notable figure in Jishan during the Qing Dynasty. During the war, many provincial government units relocated to Jishan and discovered that this fortress, secluded and uninhabited, was ideal for keeping prisoners—escape was nearly impossible—so it was converted into a prison, becoming the First Prison of Fujian. In recent years, it was also demolished due

The tulou structures feature an outer earthen and inner wooden construction. The exterior walls are primarily made from raw earth (yellow mud), lime, and fine sand, mixed with some egg whites, brown sugar, and glutinous rice. These materials are repeatedly kneaded to form "sand-lime mortar." In terms of building techniques, traditional "large wall panels" are used in the rammed-earth method, constructing the walls panel by panel. During the ramming process, bamboo and wooden strips are added as reinforcement to bind the structure together, enhancing its sturdiness. It can take anywhere from three to five years, or even over a decade, to complete a single tulou. These meticulously rammed structures offer the advantages of being easily defensible yet livable, providing wind protection and earthquake resistance, standing firm through centuries of weathering without collapsing.

The floor plan of the tulou is designed in a square enclosing a courtyard (a "回" shape layout). The rear hall has a two-story building, with the second floor featuring wooden beams extending outward to create a wooden veranda around the perimeter. This design ensures dry, hygienic, and well-ventilated living spaces. Walking along the veranda allows for quick communication throughout the entire building. A Hakka saying goes: "Nothing tastes better than taro cakes, nowhere lives better than a 'Zouma Lou' (Running Horse Building)," highlighting the superiority of the Zouma Lou design.

Upon investigation, the Liu family tulou is found to have two courtyards and three halls, with the front courtyard consisting of eight bays, and the rear courtyard having two floors with thirty-two connected rooms, totaling forty rooms. The main hall of the central building faces the direction of You (酉) mountain and Mao (卯), with an additional orientation toward Geng (庚) and Jia (甲), positioned at 4 degrees of the celestial asterism Ang (昂) and facing 2 degrees of the asterism Fang (房). Water drains from both sides of the building—on the left side of the front hall courtyard, water flows from left to right and is directed out toward the Si (巳) direction. The interior of the tulou consists of two-story halls, lower in the front and higher in the back, with both upper and lower halls aligned along the central axis. The left and right wing rooms are neatly symmetrical, with a clear distinction between primary and secondary spaces, creating a balanced layout. Between the front and rear courtyards is a central courtyard (天井), and to the right of the courtyard is a well for drinking water. Around the upper corridor of the tulou, there are approximately 24 watch windows (also used as gunports), 17 of which are still visible today (the rest are no longer visible due to collapsed walls).

The tulou’s arched gate faces the direction of Zi (子) mountain and Wu (午), with an additional orientation toward Ren (壬) and Bing (丙), positioned at 2 degrees of the celestial asterism Wei (危) and facing 4 degrees of the asterism Zhang (张), forming a water-oriented layout. This configuration symbolizes the proper pairing of the young daughter (少女) of the Gen (艮) trigram with the young son (少男), representing a harmonious and auspicious match. Water flows from right to left and exits toward the Jia (甲) direction. To the left front of the gate, in the Chen (辰) and Xun (巽) directions, there are tall structures and incoming water flow, which are believed to bring prosperity, health, longevity, and peace to the two families currently residing in the tulou.

According to several elders from Jishan, "Originally, there was a large tulou at both the head and the tail of Jishan Village to guard against bandit invasions. There were only two access routes to Jishan—east and west. The eastern route passed through the village entrance tulou and the 'Jishan Li' stone gate, while the western route crossed a pontoon bridge (in the past, there was no bridge downstream of Juzizhou). If the pontoon bridge was destroyed, the only remaining access would be from the east. Several bandit leaders conducted reconnaissance and intended to raid Jishan but feared they might not make it back alive. Coupled with Jishan’s advantageous geography and strong village defenses, they abandoned their plans. As a result, Jishan was never raided by bandits."

The tulou became a defensive fortress where the Hakka people lived together as a clan. The Hakka originally migrated from the Central Plains to the mountainous regions at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi. They faced harsh environments, wild animals, frequent bandit attacks, intense conflicts with local indigenous groups, and frequent clan feuds. Therefore, defense capability became their top priority. To survive in such conditions, the Hakka transformed their homes into fortified, "defensive" tower-like structures, where the entire clan lived together.

The tulou fully embodies the collective strength and exceptional wisdom of the Hakka people, while also reflecting the brilliance of traditional Chinese culture that values "loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness," as well as the virtue of "farming and studying to pass on the family legacy."

For hundreds of years, the tulou has brought a sense of security, harmony in peaceful times, and an aesthetic feeling in leisure moments to the Hakka people of Yong’an. It is frozen music, three-dimensional poetry, and gracefully achieves the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature in a simple and elegant way.

Today, the Hakka people have become a subject of international academic research. Hakka culture is an important focal point of civilization. The Hakka tulou alone provides valuable evidence for academia and the study of civilization’s origins, showcasing how ancient people lived, built shelters, produced goods, defended themselves, and coexisted with nature. It is a shining jewel in the history of human civilization.