President Reagan once mistook it for a nuclear missile base!“Fujian Tulou” is a must-visit destination for travelers to China

▲ Fujian Tulou are hidden deep in the mountains and were once mistaken by U.S. President Reagan for missile nuclear bases; the photo shows Tianluokeng Tulou in Nanjing. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)



On the evening of the 23rd, it was reported that a tour group organized by Wufu Travel Agency for “Fujian Xiamen Tulou and Gulangyu” had an accident where members fell into the Jiulong River, which was shocking and heartbreaking. It is understood that the original itinerary included a visit to “Yongding Tulou,” but due to heavy rain and warnings of mudflow at the site, the plan was changed to “Hua’an Tulou.” Unfortunately, the accident occurred on the way there.

Fujian Province in mainland China is the closest province to Taiwan, making it a top choice for travelers from Taiwan visiting the mainland.Among its attractions, the 46 Fujian Tulou sites, which were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2008, are one of the must-visit spots for Taiwanese travelers to the province.The four most famous tulou clusters in Fujian are Hua’an, Tianluo, Yongding, and Yunshuiyao. The ill-fated tour group was scheduled to visit one of the four—“Hua’an Tulou.”

Hua’an Tulou are circular earthen buildings centered around the “Er’yi Building,” constructed in 1740 (the 5th year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty). According to local senior tour guides, circular tulou are the most unique among tulou architecture and are only found in southern Fujian. The largest circular tulou can have diameters ranging from 80 to 150 meters, typically consisting of 2 to 5 floors. Identifying the age of a tulou is simple: those over a hundred years old do not have windows on the first and second floors, while windows appear from the third floor upwards. These upper windows are “small on the outside, large on the inside.” Therefore, if a tulou has windows on the second floor, it is less than a hundred years old, as the original design excluded lower-floor windows to guard against bandits and wild animals.

So how were these tulou hidden in the deep mountains discovered?It is said that in the 1960s, Americans spotted strange-shaped buildings from satellite images that resembled UFOs or mushrooms. Initially, they thought these were missile nuclear bases. President Reagan was very concerned and thought, “The Chinese are more advanced than us, building secret weapons in remote mountain areas.” But strangely, while smoke was seen rising daily, no launches were ever observed. It wasn’t until President Reagan sent scholars to live in Tianluokeng, Nanjing, for 80 days that it was confirmed these were not missile bases or UFOs—but simple, self-sufficient tulou residences.


▲ Nowadays, most tulou have been converted for tourism purposes, with many residents relying on tourist spending for their livelihood. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying) 



▲ % [Incomprehensible segment, likely garbled Chinese text] continues... The natural beauty here leaves a deep impression on visitors. When visiting, you should also take the time to explore. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)