The Fujian hakka earth buildings include the Gaobei earth buildings in Yongding County, the Hongkang earth buildings, the Chuxi earth buildings and Yanxiang Mansion, Zhenfu Mansion, the Nanluo earth buildings in Nanjing County, the Hekang earth buildings and Hegui Mansion, Huaiyuan Mansion, and the Dadi earth buildings in Hua’an County. They are mainly located in the Longyan and Zhangzhou scenic spot areas in western and southern Fujian.
The construction of the Fujian earth buildings can be traced back to the Song and Yuan Dynasties. They have evolved from the beginning to the middle of the Ming Dynasty and matured throughout the period of the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and developed into what we see today. Fujian earth buildings are the unique large scale mountainous earth complexes that can’t be found elsewhere.
The Fujian earth buildings are built according to the physical features of the place and well-constructed by employing the idea of traditional Chinese architecture style, also known as Fengshui. They also cater for the needs of the residents’ daily life and defense. When constructing the buildings, the local people made use of the small plains in the mountains and the earth, timber and pebbles that are available there. So the earth buildings feature saving materials, firmness and defensiveness. Meanwhile, they have rich aesthetic value due to its high-rise structure.
On July 6, 2008, the 32nd World Legacy Conference that was held in Quebec, Canada, which placed the Chinese Fujian earth buildings in The List of World Legacies.
