Tu Lou, ("earthen structures") are massive,
fortress like dwellings, native to the
Hakka people of China's Fujian province. Distinguishing features include a central
courtyard, multiple levels, a
lack of windows on the ground floor, a single,
heavily fortified entrance, and
dozens of homes all wedged together. The buildings are ringed with a one meter thick outer wall, feautre no concrete or steel;
living quarters on the upper levels are largely built from
wooden beams, jointed with pegs. A typical structure would take several years to build.
posted by jonson
on Sep 21, 2006 -
17 comments
