Day Tour from Xiamen to Yongding Gaobei Tulou King & Visit the King of Tulou & See the Largest Circular Building, Chengqilou & Explore Hakka Architectural Wonders & Yongding Gaobei World Heritage Tulou Cluster & Understand a Century of Hakka Stories in One Day
- The core area of the Fujian Tulou World Cultural Heritage. The core landmark, Chengqilou, is the 'King of Tulou', a massive four-ring concentric circular building that once housed eight hundred clansmen at its peak. It is also the inspiration for 'Big Fish & Begonia' and a filming location for the 'Fujian Residences' stamps.
- Square and round structures build the years, one earth hides a millennium | Gaobei Tulou Cluster: four stories high, four rings of buildings, four hundred rooms from top to bottom; circles within circles, rings within rings, having weathered three hundred years of history.
- Rammed earth walls carry the daily life of the Hakka clan, while bluestone paths connect a century of stories. Climb up to overlook the surrounding mountains and get a glimpse of the legend of Eastern dwellings.
- The scenic area gathers four famous buildings:
- ✅ Chengqilou | The King of Circular Buildings, an architectural wonder of nested rings
- ✅ Sezelou | A square building, forming the viral 'Square and Round Line of Sky' with Chengqilou
- ✅ Qiaofulou | The 'Doctor's Building', home to eleven PhDs from one family
- ✅ Wuyunlou | The 'Unfallen Building' from the Ming Dynasty, an ancient rammed earth building without a stone foundation
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Product Info
The Gaobei Tulou Cluster (Tulou King Scenic Area) is the core scenic area of the Fujian Tulou World Cultural Heritage, located in Gaobei Village, Gaotou Town, Yongding, Longyan. It consists of Chengqilou, Sezelou, Qiaofulou, and Wuyunlou. The core 'Chengqilou' is the King of Tulou, a giant four-ring circular building, the prototype for 'Big Fish & Begonia', and a filming location for the 'Fujian Residences' stamps. The square Sezelou and Chengqilou form the 'Square and Round Line of Sky'; Qiaofulou, also known as the Doctor's Building, highlights the Hakka tradition of valuing education; Wuyunlou is an ancient rammed earth building without a stone foundation. Surrounded by mountains, with square and round structures coexisting, experience the legend of Eastern dwellings where Hakka people live together in clans.
Gaobei Tulou is not only an architectural wonder but also a carrier of Hakka clan culture, defensive wisdom, and the tradition of farming and studying. Looking out from a height, the ancient square and round buildings lie quietly in the valley surrounded by mountains, with every brick and every piece of earth telling the century-old story of Hakka life.
The Gaobei Tulou Cluster (Tulou King Scenic Area) is located in Gaobei Village, Gaotou Town, Yongding District, Longyan City, Fujian Province. It is the core area of the Fujian Tulou World Cultural Heritage. Backed by Jinshan Mountain and surrounded by a stream, it was founded and built by the ancestors of the Jiang Hakka clan. The buildings are scattered along the mountain, and a bluestone path connects four World Heritage Tulou: Chengqilou, Sezelou, Qiaofulou, and Wuyunlou, condensing the essence of Hakka Tulou architecture.
Chengqilou (King of Tulou), the core landmark of the scenic area, was first built during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty. It took three generations to complete and was finished in the 48th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Also known as 'Tianzhu Lou' (Heaven-Assisted Building), the entire building features a four-ring concentric layout, with a diameter of 73 meters and an area of 5376 square meters. The outer ring has four stories, totaling over four hundred rooms, and could accommodate more than eight hundred people at its peak. Folk songs record: Four stories high, four rings of buildings, four hundred rooms from top to bottom; circles within circles, rings within rings, having weathered three hundred years of history. It is the inspiration for the 'God's Tulou' in 'Big Fish & Begonia' and a filming location for the 1986 China Post 'Fujian Residences' stamps. It is hailed as the 'King of Circular Buildings' and is a key national cultural relic protection unit.
The square Tulou on the east side of Chengqilou was first built in the Ming Dynasty and later rebuilt. The square building is adjacent to the circular Chengqilou, and the gap between the buildings forms the viral photo spot 'Square and Round Line of Sky'. The square and the round reflect each other, interpreting the ancient concept of 'Heaven is round and Earth is square'.
Known as the 'Doctor's Building', it was built in 1962 with funds raised by overseas Chinese and is a representative of modern overseas Chinese hometown architecture. This Tulou has produced eleven PhDs, serving as a vivid testament to the Hakka tradition of valuing education.
The oldest square Tulou in Gaobei, rammed in the Ming Dynasty. The rammed earth wall without a stone foundation has stood for hundreds of years, known as the 'Unfallen Building', witnessing the earliest rammed earth techniques of Tulou. (Due to maintenance in the scenic area, it is currently only available for viewing from the outside.)
Purchase Notice
# 🕗【Meeting Information】
* Pickup Time: Around 07:00 on the day of departure [The specific pickup time will be notified by the tour guide after booking]
* Pickup Location: Pickup service is available at hotels within Xiamen Island (Siming District / Huli District); if the hotel is inaccessible by vehicle, guests must walk to the nearest meeting point to board (to be informed after booking)
* It is recommended to book a hotel within Xiamen Island (Siming District / Huli District) in advance for easier pickup;
# 🗺️ 【Itinerary Information】
(50-person bus tour): Assemble in Xiamen city / Hotel pickup — Yongding Gaobei Tulou Cluster (including Chengqilou, Sezelou, Unfallen Building, Doctor's Building) — Includes 1 lunch — Return to Xiamen city (approx. 3 hours, 160KM)
* Itinerary time is for reference only and subject to actual arrangements. The order of the itinerary may be adjusted without reducing the number of attractions!
Reminders
A minimum of 2 traveler(s) are required for the tour to depart. If the number of participants does not reach the minimum requirement, the tour will be canceled. An email regarding tour cancellation will be sent 5 day(s) before the departure date
