Hongkeng Village (Hongkeng Tulou Cluster)

About the village

Hongkeng village lies in Hukeng town, Yongding District, in the mountains of south-west Fujian, and holds one of the densest groupings of Hakka earthen buildings anywhere, with dozens of tulou of many shapes set along the riverbanks. Its best-known building is Zhencheng Lou, the "Prince of Tulou", built in 1912 by descendants of a prosperous tobacco merchant of the Lin clan. The cluster also includes the palace-style Kuiju Lou of 1834, the grand square Fuyu Lou, and tiny round Rusheng Lou, showing the full range of Hakka communal architecture. Zhencheng Lou was inscribed in 2008 within the UNESCO World Heritage property Fujian Tulou (site 1113-002), and the village remains a living community rather than a museum piece. For the Hakka diaspora, Hongkeng is often the most approachable first stop on a roots journey, since many buildings are still inhabited by Lin clan families. For visitors it offers a rare chance to compare round, square and palace-style tulou in one valley and to see everyday Hakka life continuing inside walls built for defence and kinship.