Fujian's Yongding takes steps to promote its tulou

The Chengqi Lou in Yongding district-"the king of tulou"-is the biggest tulou in Fujian province. [Photo by Li Yishuang/provided to gofujian.com.cn]

The government of Yongding district in Fujian province's Longyan city has in recent years taken measures to protect its cultural landmarks and introduced various tourism programs to allow travelers to better understand the tulou, the iconic ancient communal living structures made of earth that is unique to the province.

In 2008, 46 tulou were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Due to the government's efforts to develop rural tourism, homestays, architecture museums and folk-art workshops have been sprouting in the tulou scenic areas in Yongding district in recent years.

The local government has also arranged for national-level intangible cultural inheritors of tulou construction to offer training to the public.

Authorities have also leveraged digital technologies and staged interactive performances to enhance the tourist experience and help them better understand the local Hakka culture. The local government has also cooperated with technology giant Tencent to launch digital cultural tourism programs that integrate Hakka culture and tulou's architectural characteristics.

In addition, more than 20 film and television works featuring the tulou have been produced to showcase its history and culture to more people.

The Zhenfu Lou, which is dubbed "the princess of tulou", in Yongding district. [Photo by Chen Jun/provided to gofujian.com.cn]

A performance inside a tulou in in Yongding district. [Photo by Li yishuang/provided to gofujian.com.cn]