(Image credit: Flickr user Fon Zhou)
In the 12th century, the people of Fujian province in China developed an architectural wonder to protect their communities from bandits and warfare. A tulou is a fortified apartment home for several hundred people with a central courtyard and outer walls up to six feet thick! The floors are cantilevered to maximize living space while preserving the common courtyard.
Most tulous are either circular or rectangular in shape. As a result of the walls and their sheer size the result was a mini-city which was also wind-proofed and extremely well ventilated: the tulous are an oasis of coolness in the hot summer months and the insulation provided by the walls means that they retain warmth in the winter.
There was also another significant advantage of these vast structures. Whether it was planned originally or not, the tulous are able to stand up to high magnitude earthquakes – the major contributor to their centuries of longevity.
(Image credit: Flickr user Squashimono)
The Fujian Tulou is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of the tulous are still occupied, while others are used for reunions by families who retain property rights. Read about tulous and see plenty of pictures at Kuriositas.