Fujian Tulou Tour
Saturday, 18 – Thursday, 23 September 2010
Leader: Mrs. Eileen Deeley, Member of the Council of the Siam Society
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The Hakka are a people who were driven south from the Yellow River plains by war in a series of migrations beginning as early as the 4th century AD and settled in their present locations in southern China. It is perhaps due to their past experience of persecution, and to their presence in a new land, the Hakka developed unique architectural buildings called tulou 土楼, literally meaning earthen structures. They were mostly built between the 12th and the 20th centuries.
A tulou is usually a large, enclosed and fortified earthen building, rectangular or circular in configuration, with very thick load-bearing rammed earth walls between three and five stories high and housing up to 80 families. Smaller interior buildings are often enclosed by these huge peripheral walls which can contain living areas, an ancestral hall, a school, meeting rooms, storehouses and a communal well, the whole structure resembling a small fortified castle.
Tulou usually have only one main gate, guarded by 4-5 inch thick wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate. The top level of these earthen buildings has gun holes for defensive purposes. Tulou can be found mostly in southwestern Fujian and southern Jiangxi provinces.
A total of 46 Fujian tulou buildings have been inscribed in 2008 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, described as ‘exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of a communal living and defensive organization in a harmonious relationship with their environment.”
The Siam Society is arranging a study trip from Saturday, 18 – Thursday, 23 September 2010 for members to visit some of the best examples of tulou sites and their inhabitants in southwestern Fujian province, a rural area dominated by rugged terrain, farmland and tea plantations. Other highlights of the trip include:
- Xiamen, just across the straits from Taiwan, the attractive southeastern coastal city with a bustling atmosphere, known as Amoy in the 19th c.
- Quanzhou – China’s principal port during the Song and Yuan dynasties (10th – 14th c.)
- The tranquil island of Gulang Yu that was designated an International Settlement in 1903 with its European-style churches and spacious villas.
The tentative programme will be as follows:
Day 1: Saturday, 18 September 2010 Bangkok - Xiamen |
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| 08.00 | Meet at Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport check-in counter for Thai Airways International, Gate no. 4/5, Row H, J. |
| 10.10 | Depart Bangkok to Xiamen by Thai Airways Intl. flight TG 610. |
| 15.05 | Arrive at Xiamen, take a scenic drive along the beautiful Island Ring Road, visit South Putuo Temple, the most famous Buddhist temple in town, check-in at Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen or similar category. |
| Evening: | Dinner at local restaurant. |
| - | Overnight at the hotel. |
Day 2: Sunday, 19 September 2010 Xiamen - Shuyang Town in Nanjing - Xiayang Town in Yongding |
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| Morning: | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| 08.30 | Proceed to Shuyang Town in Nanjing; visit Tianluokeng Tulou, Yuchanglou, Taxia village, then transfer to Gaotou Village in Yongding, visit Chengqilou, after that transfer to Xiayang Capital of Hakka Resort, Yongding or similar category in Xiayang Town. |
| - | Lunch and dinner at local restaurants. |
| - | Overnight at the hotel. |
- Tianluokeng Tulou: located in Shangban Village, Shuyang Town. The castle, composed primarily of four round and one rectangular earthen house, is one of the most magnificent and well-preserved Hakka Castles in the area. The village is also listed in the Famous Historic Cultural Village in China for its typical regional cultural system. - Yuchanglou: Located in Xiaban Village, was built in 1308 and is one of the oldest existing tulou. This five-story earthen building is most famous for its tilted pillars. The most extreme one is slanted at a 15-degree angle. Yuchanglou has been like this for more than 600 years and remains intact today. - Taxia Village: This exquisite Hakka village is located in a valley in Shuyang Town. There are more than 20 earthen building of different shapes built along the bank of a clear brook that flows through the entire village. Another major attraction is Zhang’s Clan Ancestral Hall, Next to a pond, 20 stone flagpoles rise like a stone forest in front of it. As one of the most well-preserved ancient clan houses in China, Zhang’s Clan Ancestral Hall is listed among the key culture relics protected under national level. - Chengqilou: Located in Gaobei Village, Chengqilou is the largest of the earthen buildings. It is almost three hundred years old and is made up of four concentric circular buildings. This ‘King of Round Earthen Building’ has altogether 400 rooms and used to house 80 families, totaling more than 600 people in its prosperous days. |
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Day 3: Monday, 20 September 2010 Xiayang – Meilin - Xiamen |
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| Morning: | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| 08.30 | Visit Chuxi Tulou Cluster, after that will go the Nanxi View Platform for a bird’s eye view of the Nanxi Tulou cluster. Transfer to Meilin Town in Nanjing; Visit Heguilou, Changjiao Ancient Village, Huaiyuanlou. |
| Noon: | Lunch at local restaurant. |
| - | Check-in at Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen or similar category. |
| - | Dinner at local restaurant and overnight at the hotel. |
- Chuxi Tulou Cluster: 15 km. away from Xiayang Town, the Chuxi Tulou cluster includes five large circular buildings and ten rectangular buildings. Jiqinglou is the oldest and most special round earthen buildings in this area. It is almost 600 years old and covers a total area of 2826 m2 with 206 rooms. Unlike normal round earthen buildings that usually have only four public stairways, Jiqinglou is equipped with 72 stairways, which divide the whole building into 72 independent units. All rooms, stairways and interior walls are constructed in wood. Not a single nail is used for the construction and the earthen building remains intact after 600 years. Jiqinglou also houses more than 10,000 exhibits on the unique life, history and culture of the Hakka people. - Heguilou: Heguilou is located in Pushan Village, Meilin Town. This large square building is 21.5 meters and five stories high. It is the highest of all the earthen buildings and most interesting of all, it was constructed on a swampland and has been impregnable for more than 200 years. - Changjiao Ancient Village: This beautiful ancient village is named after the Changjiao Brook that connects Heguilou and Huaiyuanlou. Along the banks of the brook are ancient banyan trees, ancient building and patches of farm land. A walk through the village will bring you back in time to Chinese traditional rural life. This village has been a popular place for film making. - Huaiyuanlou: This four-story round building in Changjiao village, Meilin town was constructed in 1907. The foundation of the wall was rammed from large cobblestones from the river and a mixture of lime, clay and sand. The surface of wall remains clean and smooth in spite of the passage of time. The ancestral hall of the building also serves as a private school. The beams, ridgepoles, doors, and windows in the entire ancestral hall are decorated with beautiful carvings and paintings in the ancient style. |
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Day 4: Tuesday, 21 September 2010 Xiamen – Hua’an - Xiamen |
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| Morning: | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| - | In the morning, travel to Hua’an, the second largest Tieguanyin tea producing area in China, visit the 268-year-old Eryilou, the largest round earthen house listed as UNESCO World Heritage site, take a stroll through the lush greenery of the tea garden next to Tulou; also visit the local Tea Wholesale Market; transfer back to Xiamen after the tour. |
| Noon: | Lunch at local restaurant. |
| - | Dinner at local restaurant and overnight at Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen or similar category. |
Day 5: Wednesday, 22 September 2010 Xiamen – Quanzhou - Xiamen |
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| Morning: | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| 08:30 | Travel on the modern freeway to Quanzhou (about 80 minutes), once an international port city on the maritime Silk Route. Marco Polo regarded the location as "one of the ports of the world with the biggest flow of merchandise". Visit Kaiyuan Temple, one of China's largest and most important Buddhist temple, and the nearby East & West Pagoda, said to be the best preserved stone pagodas in China, Qingjing Mosque, the oldest mosque in China, and the nearby Guandi Temple, Maritime and Archaeological Museum highlighting artifacts from the bustling activities of earlier years. Transfer back to Xiamen. |
| Noon: | Lunch at local restaurant. |
| - | Dinner at local restaurant and overnight at Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen or similar category. |
Day 6: Thursday, 23 September 2010 Xiamen – Bangkok |
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| Morning: | Breakfast at the hotel. |
| 08.00 | Pick up from hotel in the morning, transfer to the ferry for a 7-minute boat trip to Gulangyu. Take a peaceful walk and appreciate the buildings before visiting Hi Heaven, the largest old villa on the island where you can enjoy ancient South Music performance and traditional Puppet Show, also visit Shuzhuang Garden, a beautiful seaside garden and the famous Piano Museum. |
| Noon: | Lunch at local restaurant. |
| - | Transfer to Xiamen Airport for check-in at 14:00. |
| 16.10 | Depart to Bangkok by Thai Airways Intl. flight TG 611. |
| 18.45 | Arrive at Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport. |
Booking
Bt. 55,000 or Bt. 57,000 for non-members. Single room surcharge Bt. 8,000. There is a 4% surcharge for credit/debit card payment to cover bank charges. A non-refundable deposit of Bt. 13,500 and photocopy of passport must accompany the booking. Payment in full is required one month before the start of the trip (i.e. by Thursday, 19 August 2010). Please pay by cash or cheque payable to ‘The Siam Society’. Alternatively you can deposit/transfer the money to the Siam Society travel account at the Thai Military Bank, Asoke Branch saving account no. 053-2-18000-7. Please fax or e-mail the deposit or transfer docket to us.
Includes/Excludes:
The contribution includes airfare, airport transfers, 5 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners, accommodation for two persons per room, sightseeing as mentioned in the programme and other costs incurred to make this trip possible. It excludes visa fee, personal expenses, tips to driver and porter, etc.
Cancellation charge:
Cancellation after booking: Deposit forfeited
29-15 days of the start of the trip: 30% of the tour cost
14-10 days of the start of the trip: 50% of the tour cost
Less than 10 days or cancellation without notice: No refund
The Siam Society reserves the right to change the programme as necessary. Seats are limited. Please book your place as soon as possible.
For further information and bookings please contact Khun Prasert (ext. 504) or Khun Ekkarin (ext. 506) on 0 2661 6470-7, fax 0 2258 3491 or e-mail: ekkarin@siam-society.org. Office hours: 9:00am.–5:00pm. Tuesday–Saturday (except holidays).