I had the opportunity to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Fujian Tulou” in Fujian Province, China. During this trip, I made the most of a limited two-day, one-night stay by using a chartered car from Nanjing Station and touring the tulou clusters with the following itinerary.
Day 1:
- Departure from Nanjing Station
- Yunshui Yao Tulou Cluster
- Shunyu Lou
- Hekeng Tulou Cluster
- Xiaban Village & Yuchang Lou
- Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster (overnight stay)
Day 2:
- Departure from Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster
- Gaobei Tulou Cluster & Chengqi Lou (King of Tulou)
- Hongkeng Tulou Cluster & Zhencheng Lou (Prince of Tulou)
- Taxia Village (lunch)
- Arrival at Nanjing Station
The tulou area is said to be difficult to explore due to transportation constraints, but by using a chartered car, we were able to tour the tulou clusters efficiently and comfortably. In this article, I would like to introduce transportation options based on actual experience.
What are Fujian Tulou?
Fujian Tulou are traditional collective housing complexes located in southern Fujian Province, China. Their unique circular or square architectural style and cultural value were recognized when they were inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2008. These tulou were mainly built by ethnic minorities such as the Hakka and Hoklo people and have been inhabited for hundreds of years.
Transportation Access Challenges for Tulou Tourism
The biggest challenge when visiting the Fujian tulou clusters is the inconvenience of transportation access. The tulou clusters are scattered throughout the Nanjing and Yongding areas of Fujian Province, located about 50km away even from the nearest railway stations (Nanjing Station, Longyan Station).
Most tulou are built in railway-free zones, making access difficult.
When trying to use public transportation, you face various problems. First, the nearest railway stations are far away, requiring additional transportation from there. Buses have extremely limited service, with irregular timetables, making efficient sightseeing difficult. For taxis, ride-hailing apps are not available, and catching street taxis for movement between tulou is unrealistic. Additionally, tourist tours departing from coastal major cities like Xiamen are expensive and only offer day trips, resulting in insufficient sightseeing time.
Benefits of Chartered Cars
Under these circumstances, the most efficient and economical option is using a chartered car. By using a chartered car, you can tour at your own pace and stay longer at places of interest. Movement between tulou is also smooth, and when used by groups, it becomes very economical. Furthermore, getting valuable local information from the driver is also a major attraction.
Recommended Charter Company: Zhenghui Travel Agency
Zhenghui Travel Agency with offices right near Nanjing Station
For this trip, I used the services of a travel company based at Nanjing Station. I met Mr. He Chao, who serves as both company president and driver, at Nanjing Station and felt he was a very trustworthy business operator, so I decided to use his services. In addition to his kind and honest personality, he has extensive knowledge about tulou and provided safe and comfortable travel.
Mr. He Chao, whose friendliness is his charm.
Fortunately, Mr. He Chao’s relatives had a house near Tianluokeng Tulou, so he was able to guide us through the entire two-day, one-night itinerary. Normally, when arranging a two-day, one-night itinerary with a chartered car, you need to either pay separately for the driver’s accommodation costs or have the driver return once and come back the next day, which incurs considerable additional expenses. Therefore, this case resulted in very reasonable pricing.
Detailed Costs and Itinerary
The two-day, one-night chartered car fee was 1,050 yuan, and the following comprehensive itinerary was proposed:
Day 1:
- Departure from Nanjing Station
- Yunshui Yao Tulou Cluster
- Shunyu Lou
- Hekeng Tulou Cluster
- Xiaban Village & Yuchang Lou
- Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster (overnight stay)
Day 2:
- Departure from Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster
- Gaobei Tulou Cluster & Chengqi Lou (King of Tulou)
- Hongkeng Tulou Cluster & Zhencheng Lou (Prince of Tulou)
- Taxia Village (lunch)
- Arrival at Nanjing Station
This itinerary was efficiently arranged by Mr. He Chao from a local perspective, incorporating the destinations I originally hoped to visit. Particularly on the first day, it was designed to efficiently tour the Nanjing tulou clusters in a clockwise direction. This allowed us to minimize travel time while securing ample time for thorough sightseeing at each tulou.
Rough map centered on Nanjing Tulou. Attractions are scattered throughout the θ-shaped area in the middle.
The itinerary included the core World Heritage sites of Yunshui Yao Tulou Cluster and Hekeng Tulou Cluster, along with visits to the largest Shunyu Lou and the oldest Yuchang Lou, before heading to our accommodation at Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster. This allowed us to enjoy the golden hour scenery at Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster during sunset, as well as experience the quiet tulou atmosphere during times with fewer tourists.
For the accommodation experience at Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, please also see the article below!
Booking and Arrangements
I was lucky to be able to use the service on a walk-in basis that day, but when using Mr. He Chao’s charter service, I recommend making reservations about two weeks in advance since bookings fill up quickly during peak seasons. Communication is basically in Chinese (Mandarin), so I recommend preparing translation apps as needed. Payment is possible in cash or via WeChat Pay.
Since there is no particular website, you need to contact via phone (+86 18359666093) or WeChat (hechao332) to Mr. He Chao for reservations.
How Was It?
For Fujian tulou tourism, using chartered cars is a very efficient and economical option. Especially if you can find trustworthy operators like Mr. He Chao introduced this time, you can achieve fulfilling tulou tours. In the next article, I plan to deliver detailed reports of each tulou actually visited. I hope this will be helpful for those planning trips to Fujian tulou.
Next article is here
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