Fujian Tu Lou has been Added to World Heritage List

Posted on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:33:12 Author : From :

Chinese Tu Lou was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 6 during the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee.

Tu Lou, the unique residential architecture of the Hakka people in Southeast China’s Fujian Province, bringing the total number of Chinese properties on the list to 36.

Built from the 11th century to the 20th century in the mountainous areas across Fujian and neighboring provinces, the Tu Lou buildings were aimed at meeting the requirements of a whole clan to live together. They also serve other functions such as defense.

A Tu Lou building usually consists of rammed earth outer wall and internal wooden framework. Its unique structure and ingenious interior design highlights the interdependent relation between clan members who live inside and demonstrates the development process of their life style.

There are many different types of earth buildings in the Hakka area. While the most common are round or square, others are rectangular, D-shaped, semi-circular or in the shape of horseshoes, umbrellas, windmills, or Ba Gua (an eight-sided diagram derived from the I-Ching - the Chinese book of divination. Each side represents a different aspect of life such as wealth, career, and marriage).

The earth buildings are usually three to five stories high. Inside the entrance is a huge central courtyard onto which all the doors of the rooms and inner windows open.

The buildings are multi-functioned: for public activities, as ancestral temples and for residential dwelling. The rooms on the ground floor are used as kitchens and dining rooms, those on the second floor are for storage, and third floor rooms are used as bedrooms. The rooms on each floor are identical with an open round hallway in front of the rooms. Each floor usually has four staircases and a typical room is about 10 - 13 sq m, with larger rooms around 15 sq m.