ON DISPLAY: An opera named Tulou is put on stage in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, to promote the legend and culture of the Hakka people (XINHUA)

The Hakka people moved into the mountain areas to avoid wars, so they paid much attention to the defensive function of settlements. To protect themselves from beasts, bandits and roving armies, they constructed thick and high walls with a mixture of fine sand, lime and soil. The sturdy structures of Tulou are able to resist natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes.

Culture is embodied in many pairs of poem scrolls in the Tulou, playing an important role in passing traditions on. For instance, a pair of scrolls in Zhencheng Lou reads: "Serve the country, read classic books," representing the spirit of the Hakka people very well.

Modern lifestyle

But Tulou has to survive the rapid progress of modernization and urbanization.

The old lifestyle in the Tulou has no longer attracted young generations who pursue independence and demand relative privacy. Most local people have moved to newly-built apartment buildings, making the modern lifestyle the mainstream among local people.

In addition, the construction technology and craft of Tulou, complicated, costly and time consuming, is hard to continue. People built walls with bricks made with a mixture of clay and sand, and then solidify the wall with wood and bamboo. Tourists cannot see the chimney in Tulou because the chimney was hidden in the wall during construction. Exquisite decorations and designs can be seen everywhere in a Tulou. Eastern and Western designs are so perfectly combined in Tulou dwellings.

Innovation is the key

It's a major task for residents and the local government to work on solutions to ensure the sustainable development of Tulou.

The local government is working into three directions to protect and promote the Tulou and its culture, said Mao Gaoliang, head of Yongding County.

First, boosting the Tulou-themed tourism and transforming local development patterns; second, producing shows and programs centered on the Tulou culture, for instance, the Tulou Charm concert was staged in the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing; third, promoting the Tulou culture to the world and holding exhibitions and events overseas. The county participated in a Hakka cultural event across the Taiwan Straits, which further solidified the compatriot bond between the mainland and Taiwan Island.

Tulou was an innovation of the Hakka people when they moved to an unfamiliar place to avoid wars. As a unique genre of architecture, Tulou is also of important cultural values. Similarly, innovation is the only way for Tulou to survive in the future.

Being one of UNESCO's world heritage sites, Tulou dwellings are attracting a growing number of tourists from all over the world. But the shortage of tourist brochures in foreign languages has created inconvenience for overseas tourists.

In addition, Tulou clusters are located in a couple of counties and towns. Coordination and cooperation are demanded among them to promote Tulou and develop tourism. For instance, there are few roadside signs in these mountain areas that direct tourists to their Tulou destinations.

However, local people have realized problems with insufficient facilities and services. They are looking for better ways to preserve and promote Tulou for future generations.