Miniature fortified castles

As most Hakka traditionally lived in the mountains, these communal houses made of compacted earth were built to provide protection against bandits and wild animals - almost like small fortified castles. Earth buildings are mostly distributed in Yongding, Nanjing, and Hua'an, but the largest concentration and some of the most spectacular buildings are in Yonding County.

The older earth buildings usually consist of an inner ring surrounded by a large outer ring. The main entrance doors are padded with iron sheets and the walls are usually about 1m thick. There are observation holes above the entrance doors with lookout and defense platforms under the roof. Surprisingly, the windows facing outside tend to be small making it extremely hard to enter through the windows. There are usually no windows on the ground level.

 Huanji Building - the most mysterious round building

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