As dusk envelops the village of Xiazai in Yongding district, Fujian province, in southwest China, swallows swoop low over a stream and calm descends as the tourists drift away. The old residents, all members of the Lin clan, while away the evening talking as bats dart between the rafters of the tulou earthen buildings. They reminisce about the old times, lamenting that the village’s youth have all left for the cities.

There are around 3,000 tulou, literally meaning earthen house, spread around the southwestern part of Fujian and the adjoining areas of Guangdong and Jiangxi. While round ones are the most common, there are also square ones and mansion-style (“five phoenix”) buildings.

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