The scene that opens before us could not be any further from the sprawling industrial city we have just left behind. The ancient villages in this misty valley are separated by rice paddi and fields of vegetables and made up of perfectly round light brown smooth walled buildings called Tuluo. Built by Hakka migrants 300 to 500 years ago to provide protection to whole clans, some of these four storey buildings have up to 500 rooms laid out in concentric rings radiating from a central open courtyard. I can quite honestly say that I have never seen anything like it.
We are met at the entrance to Liulia village by a small, bespectacled, energetic Chinese fellow intent on carrying my 27 kg rucksack into the Tuolo where we are to stay. He tells us in pretty good English that this sprawling mansion has been in his family for generations leading us through open courtyards, along a narrow corridor and up a flight of rickety wooden steps to our meter thick walled and stone floored room. Clean, simple but a tad cold we all drop into the snuggly beds to catch up on the nights lost sleep.
We spend the afternoon exploring this delightful village - crisscrossing the little bridges across its bubbling stream, taking photos of the water wheels and of course diving in and out of the many Tuluo. Strangely, the cool breeze, gently flowing water, sleepy gift shops and rustic colors put me in mind of Broadway in the Cotswalds, one of my parents' favorite spots, invoking fond childhood memories.
Too soon we are on the road once again this time by minivan, heading north east back to Xiamen where we pick up the train to Shanghai. Brief though it was, I suspect the memory of our trip to Liulia village will endure.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Yongding, Fujian, China
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