Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster Day Tour: UNESCO Earthen Buildings

Five centuries-old earthen buildings arranged like dishes around soup

A private day tour from Xiamen to the Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Fujian featuring five rammed-earth buildings (four round and one rectangular) arranged in what locals call "four dishes and one soup." The tour includes hotel pickup, a private guide, lunch at a local restaurant, admission tickets and a visit to Taxia village and its ancestral hall, returning to Xiamen around 6pm.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Tianluokeng Tulou and Taxia Village

• Meet guide in Xiamen hotel lobby
• Drive 2 hours to Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster
• View Tianluokeng cluster from mountain platform
• Explore Tianluokeng Hakka cluster
• Lunch at local restaurant in tea garden
• Drive 15 minutes to Xiaban Village
• Visit Yuchanglou Tulou (Leaning Tulou)
• Pass Taxia village and roam water village
• Visit Zhang's clan ancestral hall
• Return to Xiamen hotel by 6:00pm

The experience

You're picked up at your Xiamen hotel and driven roughly two hours to the Tianluokeng cluster in Shuyang Town. The buildings themselves are the draw: four round tulou surrounding a single rectangular one, all constructed centuries ago from rammed earth and built to house entire clans. A UNESCO inscription in 2008 recognized them as exceptional examples of communal living and defensive architecture. You start at a mountain viewpoint overlooking the whole cluster, then walk through the buildings to see how people actually lived: the day-to-day arrangement of rooms, courtyards and shared spaces that made these structures work as fortified villages.

After exploring Tianluokeng, you break for lunch at a local home-cooked restaurant set among tea gardens, with countryside views and dishes suited to your dietary needs if you've noted them at booking. Then it's a 15-minute drive to Xiaban Village to see Yuchanglou, the oldest tulou in Fujian Province, famous for its dramatic lean: the wooden pillars in the corridor above the second floor slope at a 15-degree angle, making the whole building appear to be tilting. Despite its precarious look, it has stood this way since completion.

The final stop is Taxia village, built along a stream, where you visit Zhang's clan ancestral hall, a nationally protected cultural relic. Your guide handles the route and the timing. You return to your hotel in Xiamen by around 6pm. A private vehicle and driver are with you the whole day, and your guide speaks English, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Japanese or French depending on which option you select at checkout.

What’s included

• Private guide in your choice of English, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Japanese or French.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in downtown Xiamen.
• private vehicle and driver for the full day.
• admission tickets to Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, Yuchanglou and Taxia village ancestral hall.

Options for this experience

2 options

Mandarin Chinese Guide7 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 10:00Includes pickup

Korean-speaking guide or Japanese-speaking guide7 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 10:00Includes pickup

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 10:00

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, Chinese, Japanese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 28 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by China Memory Trip

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're arriving in Xiamen and want a private guide and dedicated vehicle to move through all three tulou sites at your own pace, returning to your hotel by evening rather than joining a shared group schedule.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly are the tulou buildings and why are they UNESCO heritage sites?

Tulou are large, rammed-earth structures built centuries ago in Fujian as communal dwellings and defensive compounds. The Tianluokeng cluster (five buildings arranged in an Olympic-rings pattern) was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2008 because the tulou exemplify a distinctive building tradition and type of communal living, and because they harmonize with their mountain environment in ways that have influenced settlement patterns across the region.

How far is Tianluokeng from Xiamen and how much time do I spend driving?

Tianluokeng is roughly two hours' driving distance from Xiamen. You're picked up at your hotel, driven to the cluster, and then continue to nearby sites (Xiaban Village is a 15-minute drive from Tianluokeng) before returning to your hotel around 6pm, making the full day about eight hours.

What is the "Leaning Tulou" and why does it lean?

Yuchanglou, the oldest tulou in Fujian Province, is nicknamed the "Leaning Tulou" because the wooden pillars in the corridor above its second floor began to slope shortly after the building was completed. The slope reached a 15-degree angle and has remained at that limit ever since, making the entire structure appear to be tilting even though it has remained standing.

Is lunch included, and can you accommodate dietary preferences?

Lunch is served at a local home-cooked restaurant set among tea gardens, though it is not included in the tour price. You can request a vegetarian option or advise any other dietary requirements at the time of booking, and the restaurant will prepare accordingly.

What should I wear and bring for this tour?

Wear comfortable shoes, as you'll be walking through the buildings and villages. Bring a current valid passport, which is required on the day of travel. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, and children must be accompanied by an adult.