[mellow music] [upbeat music] - My name is Philippe Simay.

I'm a philosopher, and I'm interested in the ways in which architecture provides a glimpse into the way we live.

Let's explore some of the world's most unique homes, understand their significance, and experience the cultural wealth that these locations have to offer.

[upbeat music] Today, I'm going to the Fujian province on the southeast coast of China, home of the Hakka people.

Their ancestors, the Han, migrated south nearly a dozen centuries ago when northern China was invaded by nomadic peoples coming from Central Asia.

[bright music] In this mountainous region of fertile plains, the Hakka people came together to defend the land on which they depended for their survival.

They created a new type of dwelling unlike any other known as the Tulou, a rural fortress-like structure with only one entrance and few windows, in which their communities could thrive.

[mellow music] [bright music] Hongjun has always lived in the family Tulou.

He now oversees and carefully maintains the property.

[mellow music] Hongjun, hello!

- Hello, Philippe, I'll come down and join you.

[bright music] Hello, and welcome to my Tulou.

It was built by my ancestors in 1842, and has been my family's home ever since.

- So, the same family has lived in this Tulou for the last century and a half?

- It is Chinese tradition for Tulous to always be inhabited by the same families.

I live here with my wife and son.

I'll show you around, follow me.

- Okay.

[mellow music] [chattering in foreign language] [mellow music] [chattering in foreign language] [mellow music] - [Hongjun] Tulous are made of wood and earth.

As you can see, it's very beautiful.

- [Philippe] It's magnificent.

- Families primarily live on the ground floor of a Tulou.

That is where we eat, where children can play, and where adults can come together for important gatherings.

[speaks in foreign language] - How many units are there exactly?

- There are more than 140.

- This must be an extremely compact residence.

- That's my apartment.

- This one here?

- Yes, this is where I live.

- I see.

- [Hongjun] This is the kitchen.

The other rooms are upstairs.

There are four storeys.

- So the apartment has a vertical structure, rather than a horizontal one.

- Yes, that's right, this is a vertical design.

There are four exterior staircases.

Each one leads to all four floors, and every room is accessible by stairs.

Tulous are petitioned vertically for each and every family, from the ground floor to the very top.

- That's absolutely amazing.

I've never seen an apartment building layout like this one.

Tulous remind me of a mandarin orange.

Each family has their own identical vertical slice.

It's a very egalitarian system.

- It was passed down from our ancestors.

As a member of the Hakka community, I can say that we came here to live together.

- [Philippe] Were you born in this Tulou?

- [Hongjun] This is where I was born and raised.

[mellow music] - [Philippe] Before it was left to Hongjun, the family Tulou had been passed down over 22 generations.

Less than a century ago, it was home to nearly 500 members of his extended family, but today, there are only 20 permanent residents.

Many of his relatives now work in one of China's many major cities, or in Taiwan, and only visit on special occasions like the Chinese New Year.

[chattering in foreign language] [mellow music] I encountered very few people from Hongjun's generation in the Tulou, only a cousin, a few children, and for the most part, aunts and uncles.

But for Su Hongjun and his wife Zhou, who works in one of the most famous Tulous in the region as a tour guide, the unique dwellings are ideally designed.

- Follow me, Philippe.

It's this way.

This is one of four shared staircases.

This is the only way we can go.

There are two on this side and two more on the other side.

Food is kept on the second floor, in a cool, dry area.

These are all large pantries used for storing food.

There are 34 in all.

We keep all kinds of food in these storage rooms, which are made of pine and fir timber.

They're kept airtight and are well-insulated.

[speaks in foreign language] This is our storage room.

Have a look.

- Ah.

- Ah.

- So this is where you keep everything.

- Everything here is kept well-organized.

Each room is well-insulated, and is mostly used for storing food.

- Here are some peanuts.

- That's right, we harvest them ourselves.

First, they're washed, and then we store them here.

They keep for a very long time because the room is well-sealed.

There's no ventilation, which keeps the food from going bad.

[mellow music] That was the second floor, and now we're heading up to the third.

Let me show you the bedrooms.

All the bedrooms are located on the third floor.

There are four stories in all.

- [Philippe] The view from up here is incredible.

- [Zhou] Yes, it is.

- [Philippe] You can see the whole Tulou.

- There's a panoramic view.

[mellow music] And this is where we sleep.

- So this is a bedroom.

- Come in.

- Thank you.

- The room is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The bed is here and the closet is over there.

There are two windows which bring in fresh air for a better night sleep.

- This room seems much smaller than the one I saw on the first floor.

- That's right.

The ground floor is the most spacious because it has to support the weight of the entire structure.

The walls on the first floor are 1.8 meters thick.

They're 1.6 on the second, 1.4 on the third, and 1.2 meters on the top floor.

Each floor is 20 centimeters smaller than the one below it.

The rooms get smaller the higher up you go, which strengthens the whole structure and makes it highly resistant.

[mellow music] - [Philippe] I'm beginning to understand the joys of living in such a unique environment.

With its warm wood and circular floor plan, one has the impression of being in an open air setting.

Though it may seem like a fortress closed to the outside world, the architecture is ideal for harmonious communal living.

[mellow music] This is another breathtaking view with a mountain in the distance and the surrounding trees.

- The mountain behind the Tulou resembles an eagle with its wings outstretched.

- This is all very surprising because from the outside the Tulou appears to be an enclosed structure, but once inside you feel very much connected to the surrounding environment.

- Indeed, you do.

On the outside, the Tulou just looks like a giant fortified castle, but once inside you realize that this is a warm and inviting place.

That's what makes Tulou so unique workings and mysterious.

[mellow music] - From the 12th century to the 1960s the HKA people built thousands of Tulous.

Today, there are 3,700 in the Fujian region alone.

They come in all shapes and sizes, round, square, rectangular, the modest and the imposing.

[mellow music] The Fujian Tulou had been at designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 for it's remarkable architecture.

Although they may look like impenetrable fortresses from the outside, the monumental structures were built using the rammed earth technique, which has been around since ancient times.

The earth is mixed with a hodgepodge of raw materials and compacted so tightly that once dried the walls become highly resistant.

[mellow music] But building a Tulou is an enormous undertaking, one that requires hundreds of laborers over a period of several years.

[mellow music] Is this the base on which the Tulou was built?

- Yes, this is the Tulou's foundation, it is 13 meters thick.

Records left by our ancestors suggest that this used to be marshland.

The foundation had to be deep enough to support a structure as large and imposing as a Tulou.

- Here, you can see the huge stones that make up the foundation walls and the mortar holds it all together.

What exactly is it made out of?

- Clay and Sanhetu were used between the stones.

Sanhetu is a mixture of three materials, sand, brown sugar, and lime.

On top the Sanhetu was mixed with sticky rice and eggs, which was then left to ferment before it was applied to the wall as a sealant.

- That's a rather unusual technique, I've never heard of that before.

It's usually much more common to use lime or cement to reinforce the walls.

I really like the detail of this little wood joint in particular.

- Wood joints help make the walls waterproof.

Whenever it rains the joints keep moisture from spreading between the stone foundation and the rammed earth walls, thereby reinforcing the whole structure.

The walls are very durable.

They are able to withstand earthquakes and are also wind resistant and fireproof.

[gentle music] - I find the circular shape to be quite mysterious.

- According to historical records, a massive earthquake once struck China and many homes were destroyed.

That's when our ancestors had the idea to build round structures that could withstand natural disasters.

The circular shape means the space is always well lit.

Round Tulous have virtually no blind spots which makes it easier to see the enemy coming.

[slow music] - I can't imagine its circular shape was only intended for defense purposes.

The circle is also a symbol of wholeness, eternity, unity, and community.

I suppose that symbolic dimension is also very important.

- Yes, you're right, Philippe.

In addition to its ability to withstand earthquakes and enemy attacks, the circular structure represents harmony and unity.

The circle is a powerful symbols in the Hakka community.

[gentle music] - [Philippe] The magic of Tulous is also enhanced by the ways in which the structures were thoughtfully designed to interact with the natural environment.

They were designed according to the rules of Feng Shui.

The art of Feng Shui dates back several thousand years.

It is a system that aims to harmonize the flow of energy in a given environment to improve the health and prosperity of its inhabitants.

A Feng Shui master determined the precise location of Su Hongjun's Tulou as well as its orientation, the location of the entrance, and even the furniture arrangement.

Today, a Feng Shui expert has come to introduce me to the ancient art.

He uses a traditional compass known as a Luopan, a mysterious but widely used hand instrument.

- This Luopan is composed of three dials.

The first is the Earth plate, which was used to determine the position of the mountain behind the Tulou.

The second represents mankind.

And the third is the heaven plate.

- In contrast to the way spaces are usually designed nowadays, you design spaces organically and symbolically.

Everything is interconnected and has its own unique meaning.

- Yes, that's what Feng Shui is all about.

Being in harmony with nature is of utmost importance as are the five elements that surround us, wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

There should be balance between those five elements.

For instance, if there is a mountain which represents wood and wood generates fire, there should be an interaction between the two.

Water in or around the Tulou represents incoming wealth and behind it, there is a forest covered mountain.

Those elements are necessary to generate the flow of positive energy.

- And what do you do exactly to pinpoint those energies?

- Feng Shui is very mysterious, it is something that cannot be seen or touched.

It takes many, many years of experience before one can harness those energies.

[gentle music] - [speaking in foreign language] [gentle music] [speaking in foreign language] - I think cooking outside is very practical.

Not only because of lingering smells and temperature control, but also because it's more convivial.

- Yes, you can talk with everyone while you cook.

Traditionally, we never close the front door when we eat indoors.

Can you guess why?

It's because the Hakka people like to invite others to see what we're having, that way if they wanna join us, they are more than welcome to.

So the door is always kept open during meals.

- Cheers.

- Cheers.

[speaking in foreign language] - Cheers.

- It's very sweet.

It's made from sticky rice.

- I'll give it a try.

And what's this?

Bamboo?

- These are wild bamboo shoots, they come from the mountain.

- This is really delicious.

Thank you, thank you so much.

Have Tulous changed much since you were little?

China has undergone so many changes, families are very different in today's world, people are having less children, fewer Chinese or living in rural areas, young people often go off to work in the city, what do you imagine for the future of Tulous?

- In my father's generation, it wasn't unusual to have a dozen brothers and sisters.

In my generation, it's common to have three or four.

My son is part of the one child generation.

We would like our son to work in the city because that's where he'll be able to make a much better living, but we do hope that one day he will return home and settle down here.

Nowadays with some of the more touristic Tulous young people are returning home to work in the native region as a tour guide, for example, and are starting to make a much better living.

[chattering in foreign language] [mellow music] - This morning, Su Zhou wants to show me the impact of tourism on Tulou living.

She takes me along the very same road she follows every day on her way to work in one of the most famous Tulous of all, Zhengcheng Lou.

[gentle music] For many years, Zhengcheng Lou has been a must-see destination tourists, the majority of whom are Chinese and who come from all over the country.

Built by a wealthy tobacco merchant in the early 20th century, the structure is majestic with its series of concentric rings, five floors and its 222 apartments that can hold nearly 1000 residents.

[bright music] - [speaking in foreign language] - There are 42 families that live in this Tulou.

- So around 200 people still live here?

- That's right, more than 200.

[crowd chattering in foreign language] As an additional source of income and because there are so many tourists, each family opened a small shop like this one.

The kitchen area has been turned into a boutique that only sells local goods.

- Wait, this looks like tea.

- That's tea from the valley.

- And this is honey.

- Yes, that's wild honey.

- [Announcer] [speaks in foreign language] - You have to watch your step.

Go ahead.

Only a short decade ago, Tulous were largely unknown to the Chinese and risked being deserted.

Today, they have found new life through the explosion of mass tourism, but at what cost?

The average income of the Hakka community has doubled in just five years.

Although the revenue is being used to fund the maintenance of certain Tulous, what were once havens of peace are now being swarmed with a buzzing of tourists.

[gentle music] In a rapidly changing China, I wonder what the future has in store for the unique dwellings.

Are they destined to become museums as mere relics of the past or will they be able to draw new generation of young people by adapting to the demands of modern convenience?

[mellow music] Strolling through the Fujian province, I noticed that modern concrete housing has popped up everywhere and even extend up to many Tulous.

And yet far from disappearing from the landscape, Tulous seem to stand out more than ever before as bastions of resistance.

[bright music] Su Zhou showed me where I could find a more modern Tulou nestled in the Hills.

- This is absolutely incredible.

I've never seen anything like it.

- This is Tulou inside another Tulou.

The new in the old.

They're both completely different, but right away you can see the similarities in the design and layout of space.

There's a central courtyard.

Although new materials were used the traditional organization of space has still been respected.

[bright music] Hakka farmers and their families have been living in the region for more than 29 generations.

In recent years, the residents of this Tulou found that their living conditions had become too cramped and they had a truly unique idea.

I meet with one of the residents, Lin Ziangqing.

- Each family has added a new unit as an extension of the old.

- I see.

So do the people who live here still use the old Tulou just behind.

- Yes, that's correct, everyone still lives in the old Tulou.

There are about 500 to 600 residents in all.

Construction began five or six years ago, each family paid for their renovations with their own money.

- Does that mean that you're going to keep building all the way around the Tulou?

- Construction hasn't started yet, but it soon will.

In the end, the new homes will form a circle so that everything is connected, it's nicer that way.

This is where I live in both buildings.

On this side and on that one.

- That one and this one?

So this must be the new extension of your home.

- Come on, have a look inside.

- Aside from the new interior staircase, the new building is an identical reproduction of the old Tulou made of earth and wood, but the new version was built with brick, glass and metal.

On one hand the use of 21st century materials and furnishings means residents can enjoy modern conveniences, on the other, the Tulou remains true to tradition with its vertically compartmentalized interiors, inward facing floor plans and shared living spaces.

[speaks in foreign language] - [speaks in foreign language] - [speaks in foreign language] - [speaks in foreign language] - As we can see, the common areas are being used in some very interesting ways.

At first glance, you can't tell if this is a public or private space.

This portable stove has been placed in front of this home therefore overflowing into the public space which can be used by everyone.

And so there's the issue of what defines the threshold where one's private property ends and where public property begins.

It's clear that these thresholds are permeable, they're constantly changing.

The way the space can be experienced is quite fascinating.

The inventiveness that allows a structure to evolve over time is a major advantage in ensuring its long-term survival.

It becomes an open door to the hopes and dreams of future generations.

Lin Xiang's son, Lin Min, is no exception.

Every weekend, he takes a three hour train ride from the university town where he studies to return to the family Tulou.

Do you prefer to stay in the old Tulou?

- Yes, I do.

I like the atmosphere and the temperature doesn't fluctuate as much as it does in the new house.

- When you graduate do you see yourself settling here to start a family?

- Oh, of course I do.

I think that I will eventually come back sooner or later, probably when I'm older.

This place is out in the boondocks, I have to go to the city to earn a living.

If I had the choice and if I had the time, I would come home more often, there's nothing better than home.

I would never miss a chance to come back for the Chinese new year because this is where my parents are.

[bright music] - The future of the Tulou may lie in its ability to be reinvented by combining the old and the new and by adapting traditional structures to the demands of modern convenience.

[bright music] The Hakka people continue to keep the two low traditions alive.

It is an extraordinary way of life.

One that has withstood the test of time and one that will hopefully continue to thrive.

[upbeat music]