Over the stream.
rheins — CC BY 3.0 · 中国郑开亮 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · 中国郑开亮 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · Yumeto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0
An old Hakka village on both banks of a mountain stream in Nanjing County, once called Changjiao and more than six hundred years old; it is rated 5A and surrounded by dozens of tulou, the round and square fortified homes of rammed earth. Huge old banyan trees shade the stream, wooden waterwheels turn on its banks, a stone arch bridge crosses it, and mist fills it in the early morning, turning the scene into a painting. Among its best-known tulou are Huaiyuan Lou, a two-ring round house of the Qing, and Hegui Lou, a five-storey square house raised on marshy ground; both belong to «Fujian Tulou» on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2008. Visitors stroll the old path between the trees and cafés and step into the tulou to see their inner courtyards and wooden galleries. Tickets cost about CNY 90, and the area is open all day, per visitor guides.
Over the stream.
Centuries old.
A round tulou.
Nanjing County, west of Zhangzhou city, Fujian
Yes, both are in Nanjing County a short drive apart, and many day tours from Xiamen pair them; a night's stay lets you see the morning mist.
Choices are few in the village and local Hakka cooking uses pork, so bring food and look in Xiamen for restaurants under the halal sign.