Dabu Residential Buildings

Dabu Residential Buildings

The beauty of the Han River, the splendor of elegant structures. Dabu’s residential buildings are hailed as the “Exhibition Garden of Hakka Architecture.” Behind each building lies a little-known story, where you can see the diverse styles of enclosed houses built by wealthy merchants and prominent families. For example, the entrance gate of Longgang Village in the county town at first glance appears to be a majestic gate tower, but upon closer inspection, the gate is actually embedded in the wall. It is said that the owner of this building made his fortune through business but, lacking official honors, was not permitted to construct a formal gate tower. So he came up with an ingenious solution and built a fake gate tower. Hakka architecture also carries the heartfelt blessings of affluent families. The Huadian Building in Lianfeng Village, Dadong Town, features three concentric rings and a total of 210 rooms. The circular courtyard inside is paved with cobblestones of varying sizes, with a 3-meter-diameter ancient coin pattern at the center, symbolizing people’s wishes for abundant food and clothing. It reflects the Hakka philosophy of a fulfilling, united, equitable, and harmonious life, and is currently the largest and best-preserved ancient earthen enclosed residential building among Guangdong’s tulou. Hakka architecture also reflects the prosperity of days gone by.