Round house holds happy memories for Hakka

A wedding in a tulou with Hakka characteristics in Gaonan village of Gaotou township's Yongding district in Longyan, Fujian province, attracted a lot of tourists. [Photo by Huang Qiuping/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Recently, a wedding took place in a tulou with Hakka characteristics in Gaonan village of Gaotou township's Yongding district in Longyan, Fujian province.

A tulou is a type of traditional Hakka communal residence found in  mountainous areas. The earthen structures, which are often round, are characterized by an open roof in the center. The Hakka people are a  Chinese ethnic group.

"I grew up in a tulou. There are so many good memories of my childhood. Now nearly all young people who lived in tulou are working outside. I want to give my girlfriend a wonderful and unforgettable wedding," said Jiang Hongzhi, the bridegroom.

Jiang fell in love with Zhang Xiaoli, his bride, three years ago.

Built in 1950, the tulou covers an area of 1,931 square meters. Its main area has 3,639 square meters. It has three floors, two stairways and a well. The diameter of the outer wall is 45.5 meters and the thickness of the lower earthen wall is 1.2 meters.

Since 1949, there have been three county commissioners and more than 70 doctoral, master's, undergraduate and junior college students who grew up in a tulou in Longyan, Fujian provinnce.