Chuxi tulou cluster 初溪土楼群

About Chuxi tulou cluster

Jiqing Lou is especially distinctive for its concentric rings and many separate stairways, which divide the outer structure into family units. The wider cluster contains buildings from different periods, making it useful to compare their forms rather than search for one universal tulou design. The buildings remain connected with community life, so follow the designated visitor access and avoid private upper rooms.

The Chuxi cluster is a Hakka village settled by the Xu clan (徐氏) in the 14th century. Its first structure was Heqing Lou (和庆楼), the village's ancestral tulou; later buildings were each given a name ending in the character qing (庆), reflecting a wish for a flourishing population. The cluster comprises ten named tulou, including Jiqing Lou (集庆楼), Yuqing Lou (余庆楼) and Shengqing Lou (绳庆楼), among others, with 36 tulou preserved in the village overall.

Jiqing Lou (集庆楼), the largest and oldest of the group, was built in 1419 during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty. It consists of two concentric rings: the outer ring is four stories tall with 53 rooms on each level, divided by 72 staircases into 72 separate, non-interfering units, while the inner ring is a single story.

Jiqing Lou was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 2006, and in 2008 the Chuxi Tulou cluster was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a representative example of the Fujian Tulou. It was listed as a Fujian Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2009.

What to look for

• Jiqing Lou’s concentric rings and unusually subdivided stair arrangement.
• The varied earthen residences gathered within Chuxi village.

Location & getting there

Getting to Chuxi tulou cluster

Reach Chuxi Village in Xiayang Town, Yongding District. Arrange the final road transfer to this cluster specifically; Tianluokeng and Chengqi Lou are different mountain destinations and should not be assumed to share the same entrance or shuttle.