Dotted among the dark green mountains and blue waters in the south west Province of Fujian in South China are densely concentrated blocks of oddly shaped buildings. American researchers once described these building complexes as like "like something from another planet", Japanese scholars called them "black UFOs", while architectural experts praises them as "the Potala Palace in Fujian". The CIA sent intelligence agents to spy on this "suspicious Chinese nuclear base" in the 1960s but found out that this "nuclear base" was just tulou, or literally earth buildings, where the Fujian Hakka people have lived for over a thousand years!

At the Model Exhibition of World Ancient Architectural Elaborate Works in April 1984, Zhencheng Building, an earth building in Yongding County in Fujian, caused a stir and was called "a worldwide unparalleled legendary residential building". In February 2004 UNESCO formally granted Fujian Hakka earth buildings World Cultural Heritage status.

 Hakka: the guest people

The Hakka people are not an ethnic minority. They settled in Fujian from the Central Plains of China over a long period from the Qin (221-207 BC) to the Song (960-1279) dynasties. Self-identified as Hakka, or guest people, these Han immigrants have retained much of their ancestors' lifestyle and culture and have absorbed the best parts of other ethnic groups' cultures. After more than 1,000 years of struggle they formed their own original folk customs including festivals, food, drink, costume, education and religion, and most unique of all - earth buildings.

 

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