Fujian Tulou in Rural China: A Nanjing “Four Dishes and One Soup” Photo Collection

On a day trip from Xiamen, I headed into the mountains of Nanjing County (Zhangzhou, Fujian) to see the famous Fujian Tulou—UNESCO-listed earthen buildings built by Hakka communities. This collection captures the drive up winding roads, the quiet villages along the way, and the iconic Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster—often nicknamed “Four Dishes and One Soup” when viewed from above.

Lush bamboo-covered mountains along the winding road to the Nanjing Tulou, Fujian, under a clear blue sky.

A winding mountain road to the Nanjing Tulou in Fujian, lined with sunlit forest and early autumn foliage under a clear sky.

Sunlit courtyard in a Fujian Nanjing Tulou with bamboo trays of vegetables drying on stone pavement during the autumn harvest.

View through the entrance of a Nanjing Tulou showing a bustling inner courtyard with red lanterns, wooden balconies, and local vendors.

Aerial view of the “Four Dishes and One Soup” Fujian Tulou complex in Nanjing, surrounded by terraced fields and misty green mountains.

Fujian Nanjing Tulou cluster on a hillside above terraced fields, surrounded by lush green mountains under a clear blue sky.

Fujian Tulou are unlike most architecture people picture when they think of China. Built with rammed earth, wood, and stone, these massive communal homes were designed for both daily life and protection—practical, beautiful, and deeply tied to clan culture. In Tianluokeng, you’ll find a distinctive layout on the hillside: one square tulou surrounded by several round ones (plus an oval), creating that “Four Dishes and One Soup” shape from the viewpoint.

What surprised me most wasn’t just the tulou themselves, but how rural and alive the landscape felt: terraced fields, bamboo-covered mountains, village courtyards, and the kind of everyday scenes you rarely notice when you’re rushing—smoke rising from kitchens, fruit drying in the sun, and small details that make the place feel quietly cinematic. One of my favorite memories was simply pulling over for a moment, opening the windows, leaning back with music on, and letting the late-afternoon light wash over the hills.

Photography-wise, the best results here come from combining two angles. Start with the upper viewpoint for the classic “Four Dishes and One Soup” composition—this is where layering and geometry really shine. Then visit the lower viewpoint (and the village itself) for an upward perspective and more human-scale storytelling. To keep frames clean, zoom in to simplify the scene, watch for leading lines from the mountain roads, and slightly lower exposure to preserve the bright sky and sunlit walls—especially at midday. If you can, stay a little later: warm light makes the tulou textures and the surrounding greens look incredibly rich.

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