The earth buildings were built with the combination of good points of various kinds of Chinese residential buildings as well as the wisdom and creativeness of the ancestors of the Hakkas settlers in Yongding County, Longyan City, the Southwest of Fujian Province.

They are like brilliant pearls amongst the architectural beauties in the world. According to the early settlers' philosophy o...[Full]

The earth buildings were built with the combination of good points of various kinds of Chinese residential buildings as well as the wisdom and creativeness of the ancestors of the Hakkas settlers in Yongding County, Longyan City, the Southwest of Fujian Province.

They are like brilliant pearls amongst the architectural beauties in the world. According to the early settlers' philosophy of heaven and earth, which held that the heaven was round and the earth was square, earth buildings in Yongding include varieties of square and round houses combined together. Thousands of these buildings were built in the Qing Dynasty, with thick walls, ingenious structures and various functions such as protection against high winds, earthquakes and hot and cold weather. They also served as a guard against enemies. All these buildings were furnished for living, storage and cooking and can accommodate a clan of hundreds of family members to live a happy life together.

The Hakkas were people who settled in Fujian from the Central Plains of China. After more than 1,000 years of struggle they formed their original folk customs in their residential buildings such as their food, drink, dressing, education and religion. These are the main components of Hakkas culture, of which the most unique is the earth buildings.

With a history of 560 years, Shizhong Ulambana Festival of Longyan is held on mid-October of years of Rat, Ox and Tiger in Chinese lunar calendar. It comes off every decade, and has been held for 56 times. During this large-scale colorful folk ceremony in commemoration of Xie An--the Holy King of Zhengshun who won military honors in Feishui Battle, people pray for good weather, national stability and happiness of all peoples, ample harvest, and harmony among neighborhood.[Close]

The earth buildings were built with the combination of good points of various kinds of Chinese residential buildings as well as the wisdom and creativeness of the ancestors of the Hakkas settlers in Yongding County, Longyan City, the Southwest of Fujian Province.

They are like brilliant pearls amongst the architectural beauties in the world. According to the early settlers' philosophy o...[Full]