I took my friend to Fujian Tulou and she asked if we were in a Studio Ghibli movie.
My friend from Italy loves Studio Ghibli. When she saw photos of Fujian Tulou, she said: "That's Spirited Away. That's real?"I said: "Let's go find out."
What are Tulou?
Tulou are massive round earthen buildings built by the Hakka people in Fujian province. They're 3-5 stories tall. Up to 80 families lived inside a single building.
They look like ancient UFOs landed in rice fields. Or exactly like the bathhouse in Spirited Away.
UNESCO World Heritage Site. 700+ years old.
The trip:
We flew Xiamen. Took a bus 3 hours into the mountains of Yongding County.
The road wound through tea plantations and banana forests. Then suddenly: a giant round building appeared in a valley.
My friend gasped.
Inside the Tulou:
We entered Chengqi Lou (承启楼), the "King of Tulou." It's 4 stories, 400 rooms, and still has families living inside.
The layout:
• Ground floor: kitchens and livestock pens (now mostly shops)
• 2nd floor: grain storage
• 3rd-4th floor: living quarters
• Center courtyard: communal well and gathering space
The reality:
• It's a functioning village, not a museum. People live here.
• The ground floor shops sell tea, crafts, and dried mushrooms.
• You can stay overnight in a Tulou guesthouse (¥100-200/night).
• The walls are 1.5 meters thick. Made of clay, bamboo, and glutinous rice.
The overnight stay:
We stayed in a restored Tulou guesthouse. Wooden beds. Shared bathroom. No WiFi.
At night, the building's owner (a 70-year-old Hakka man) made us tea in the courtyard. He told stories in Hakka dialect. We understood none of it. We drank the tea anyway.
The stars were incredible. No light pollution in the mountains.
Practical info:
Where: Yongding County and Nanjing County, Fujian Province
How to get there:
• Fly to Xiamen (XMN)
• Bus from Xiamen to Yongding: 3-4 hours, ¥60
• Or hire a private driver: ¥400-600/day (split between friends)
Best Tulou to visit:
• Chengqi Lou (biggest, most famous)
• Zhencheng Lou (best preserved)
• Tianluokeng "Four Dishes and One Soup" cluster (iconic view)
Entry fee: ¥90-120 per cluster
Best time: Spring (March-May) or Autumn (September-November)
Time needed: 2 days minimum
Tips:
• Stay overnight. Day trips miss the magic.
• Bring cash. Many shops don't take digital payment.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Cobblestones are uneven.
• Learn "hello" in Hakka: "Ngai ho" (你好 in Hakka sounds different).
• Buy the local tea. Fujian produces some of China's best oolong.
My friend's verdict: "I came because it looked like a cartoon. I stayed because it felt like time travel. I've never been somewhere that made me feel so small and so welcome at the same time."
Anyone else visited Tulou or another place that felt unreal?
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