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  "title": "Tulou – China’s Communal Homes",
  "excerpt": "The Tulou of Fujian are grand, ancient earthen structures where entire communities live together, offering a beautiful glimpse into traditional, collective life in harmony with nature.",
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  "seoTitle": "Tulou - China's Communal Homes - Little Chinese Everywhere",
  "seoDescription": "The Tulou of Fujian are grand, ancient earthen structures where entire communities live together, offering a beautiful glimpse into traditional, collective life in harmony with nature.",
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    "country": "China",
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  "excerptHtml": "<p>The Tulou of Fujian are grand, ancient earthen structures where entire communities live together, offering a beautiful glimpse into traditional, collective life in harmony with nature.</p>\n",
  "contentHtml": "\n<p>Hidden among the rolling hills and misty valleys of Fujian Province, the Tulou stand like ancient fortresses of family and community spirit. These massive, circular or square earth buildings were ingeniously designed to shelter dozens of families under one roof, creating a unique blend of private and communal life. Walking into a Tulou is like entering a small village protected by thick, earth-packed walls, where generations live side-by-side, sharing meals, stories, and celebrations. Their design reflects both resilience against attack and a deep-rooted value of unity. Time seems to slow within these clay walls, and visitors are instantly embraced by a sense of belonging.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-type-video is-provider-youtube\"><div>\n<iframe title=\"China‘s BIGGEST traditional communal home for more than 600 people - Fujian Hakka Tulou | EP8, S2\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/0nZue4_ceSY?list=PLU4Dk-FV9Ax9DpVyQQ1QNefLLGYLXkwEr\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n</div></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The people who inhabit these Tulou are warm, proud, and deeply connected to their traditions. Inside, you’ll find elderly women preparing traditional snacks, children playing under the central courtyard, and the rich aroma of home-cooked meals drifting through the air. Each family maintains their own living quarters while sharing communal spaces, fostering a lifestyle built on trust, cooperation, and togetherness. The customs, festivals, and oral histories preserved here are treasures of intangible cultural heritage. In every smile and every offering of tea, the spirit of these ancient homes lives on.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" src=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-02-at-22.55.19-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-02-at-22.55.19-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-02-at-22.55.19-300x199.jpg 300w, https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-02-at-22.55.19-768x509.jpg 768w, https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-02-at-22.55.19-1080x715.jpg 1080w, https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-02-at-22.55.19.jpg 1332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" /><figcaption><em>Inside the Tulou</em></figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Surrounding the Tulou is a picturesque countryside of terraced rice fields, bamboo forests, and winding rivers. The landscape is peaceful yet powerful, with morning mists that drift lazily through the valleys and sunsets that bathe the clay walls in warm golden light. Trails between Tulou villages lead to stunning vistas, hidden temples, and lively local markets. Here, architecture and nature are in perfect balance, offering visitors not just a glimpse into a way of life but an invitation to reflect on community, simplicity, and resilience. The Tulou are living monuments to a way of life that remains deeply inspiring today.</p>\n\n\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-id=\"b4ded80\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-id=\"0589c8a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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aria-label=\"Image Carousel\" dir=\"ltr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-wrapper swiper-image-stretch\" aria-live=\"off\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"1 of 7\"><a data-lce-lightbox=\"yes\" data-lce-lightbox-group=\"0589c8a\" data-lce-lightbox-title=\"Well inside Toulou\" href=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DSC00743.jpeg\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DSC00743-1536x1026.jpeg\" alt=\"Well inside Toulou\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1026\" /><figcaption>Well inside Toulou</figcaption></figure></a></div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"2 of 7\"><a data-lce-lightbox=\"yes\" data-lce-lightbox-group=\"0589c8a\" data-lce-lightbox-title=\"Tulou Entrance\" href=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DSC00725.jpeg\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DSC00725-1536x1026.jpeg\" alt=\"Tulou Entrance\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1026\" /><figcaption>Tulou Entrance</figcaption></figure></a></div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"3 of 7\"><a data-lce-lightbox=\"yes\" data-lce-lightbox-group=\"0589c8a\" data-lce-lightbox-title=\"Squared Tulou\" href=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DJI_0942.jpg\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DJI_0942-1536x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Squared Tulou\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" /><figcaption>Squared Tulou</figcaption></figure></a></div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"4 of 7\"><a data-lce-lightbox=\"yes\" data-lce-lightbox-group=\"0589c8a\" data-lce-lightbox-title=\"Inhabitants of Tulou\" href=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DSC00785.jpg\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https://jcwejfnxuwwffrrxjmkn.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/site-media/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DSC00785-1536x1026.jpg\" alt=\"Inhabitants of Tulou\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1026\" /><figcaption>Inhabitants of Tulou</figcaption></figure></a></div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" 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