HAKKA TULOU | China's Incredible Earthen Round Houses

http://www.TravelsWithSheila.com It was back on the road from Xiamen to see and stay in a rural area known as the Heartland of the Hakka people. The Hakka people, also known as Han Chinese, arrived in what is today's Central China centuries ago to escape famine and persecution. In the process, the Hakkas built tulous to protect themselves from bandits and wild animals. Tulous are usually large enclosed buildings that can be a circle, semicircle, oval, square, rectangle or irregular pentagon. Built of earth and rice. Reinforced with bamboo and wood chips. Three to five levels high. Think...doughnuts...when looking down on the round ones.