Xiamen and the Hakka tulous

Xiamen is another one of my favourite places in China. Xiamen is a coastal city of around 2.5 million people, located in the Fujian Province, South-East China. It lies just across from Taiwan. It is a city with a pleasant climate, nice beaches and quite a few things to see. A good part of the city is on Xiamen Island, the rest being on the mainland. Of interest is the smaller island of Gulangyu, car-free and home to around 20,000 people. Gulangyu was officially designated an International Settlement in 1903, and many countries built houses, consulates, hospitals and churches there. As a consequence, the architecture on the island is of Victorian-era style. Unfortunately many residences are derelict today, even if a large number of them are currently being rebuilt. Gulangyu is not only famous for its architecture, but also for its music, as many famous Chinese musicians are supposed to come from there. The island hosts China's only piano museum (200 pianos, from all shapes and eras); it also has an organ museum, many gardens and the Xiamen museum, formerly known as the Eight Diagrams Tower. I highly recommending strolling through the streets of Gulangyu, which can only be reached from Xiamen by ferry.

About two hours from Xiamen, in Fujian Province, can be found the fascinating Hakka tulous, or "earth buildings", built between the 12th and the 20th centuries. Tulous are communal dwellings, usually rectangular or circular in shape, enclosed and fortified to defend their inhabitants from potential enemies. They are between three and five-story high and can house up to 80 families! Inside the building can be found communal kitchens, wells, storehouses, living and play spaces. Each family has their own quarters. A tulou is actually almost like a small city in itself. The structure is made of earth, mixed with stone, bamboo, wood and other materials. At the very top there are small windows for defensive purposes. Clusters of tulous can sometimes be found. Some of them are open to visitors. They give an insight of what life in China was in the recent past… and still is today for some.