Yugeng Building

　　   Yugeng Building is the oldest existing tulou in Nanjing County, built during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties (around 1368). It was jointly constructed by members of the Liu, Luo, Zhang, Tang, and Fan families, so the entire building was divided into five sections of varying sizes, each representing one of the five family clans. Each clan had its own section, and each section had its own staircase.

　　   The entire building leans noticeably to one side, yet its tilted design has stood for hundreds of years and even survived earthquakes, which puzzles modern architects. The mystery behind its architectural design has not been fully solved to this day.

　　   Yugeng Building has a five-story structure, with 54 similarly sized axe-shaped rooms on each floor. The ground floor is used for kitchens, and every kitchen has a well about 1 meter deep and 0.5 meters wide. The water is clear and sweet—just grab a ladle and reach in to draw water.

　　   In the center of the inner courtyard, there is a single-story circular ancestral hall. The courtyard in front of the ancestral hall is paved with cobblestones in a large circle, divided into five equal sections representing the “Five Elements”: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

　　   Shortly after the tulou was built, the wooden pillars in the corridors began to lean from left to right, with the maximum tilt reaching 15 degrees. It looks as if it might collapse at any moment, but it has withstood hundreds of years of wind and rain and numerous earthquakes, remaining just as it was, seemingly precarious but safe. It is said that the leaning was intentionally designed by the builders after the building’s owner offended them. A few years ago, the government labeled the building as unsafe, yet this “unsafe” building has stood firm through centuries of harsh weather.

　　   This tulou is still home to over a dozen families who live together harmoniously and naturally. After hundreds of years of wind, rain, sun, and smoke, the pillars and staircases inside have turned into a brownish-gold color, giving the place an authentically vintage charm.