Friday, October 09, 2009

Ryan Pyle Blog: Hakka Tulou Buildings in Fujian


Hello,

I'm writing to make you aware of some new work I've produced. The photos revolve around the Hakka Tulou houses in remote Fujian province. The story is a remarkable testament to how unique some parts of China still remain, and what wonderful treasures they posses. You may not remember what a Hakka Tulou is, but you'll remember them once you see the images. My goal was to not only capture the remarkable architecture but also the culture and the life of the people living there. Please follow the link below to view the images online.

LINK: Ryan Pyle Archive

A Brief Summary:
In 2008 UNESCO granted the Tulou "Apartments" World Heritage Status; siting the buildings as exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization. The Fujian Tulou is "the most extraordinary type of Chinese rural dwellings" of the Hakka minority group and other people in the mountainous areas in southwestern Fujian, China. The Tulou is usually a large enclosed building, rectangular or circular in configuration, with a very thick weight supporting earth wall (up to 6 feet thick) and wooden skeletons, from three to five stories high, housing up to 80 families. These earth buildings usually have only one main gate, guarded by 4-5 inch thick wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate. The top level of these earth buildings has gun holes for defense against bandits. They are a testament to the unique cultures that existed throughout China.

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Ryan Pyle
Photographer
ryan@ryanpyle.com
Website: www.ryanpyle.com
Archive: http://archive.ryanpyle.com
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Hi,

This is Ryan Pyle. I appreciate you adding a comment to my blog and I hope that this space has offered you something useful and interesting. I look forward to staying in touch and I'm glad you took the time to comment.

Ryan Pyle
ryan@ryanpyle.com
www.ryanpyle.com