What are the advantages of earth buildings?
1. Defend enemies
The thick walls of Hakka earth buildings are one of the most important features and are an extreme expression of the introversion of traditional Chinese residences. Taking the common 4-story earth building as an example, there are no external windows on the ground floor and the second floor. There is a narrow slit on the third floor, large windows on the fourth floor, and sometimes a balcony is added on the fourth floor.
The weak point of the earthen wall is the entrance. The strengthening measure is to cover the thick hardwood door with an iron sheet, use a horizontal bar behind the door to secure it, and install a fireproof water tank on the door. These are all defensive requirements.
2. Earthquake resistance
Tulou also has earthquake-resistant functions, such as the Huanji Building. The biggest feature of the Huanji Building is its extremely strong earthquake resistance. It has experienced many earthquakes in the past 300 years. According to county records According to records, a magnitude 7 earthquake occurred in Yongding on February 13, 1918 (the third day of the first lunar month in the seventh year of the Republic of China).
The mud and water in the nearby fields sprayed up several feet high, and almost all the bricks and tiles on the roof were knocked down. There were several aftershocks. For more than ten minutes, the third earthquake above the main entrance of Huanji Building , the four-story thick wall was cracked by the earthquake. The crack was nearly 20 centimeters long, nearly 3 meters long and more than a foot wide.
3. Climate adjustment
Under these climatic conditions, the thick soil maintains a humidity suitable for the human body. When the environment is too dry, it can naturally release water; when the environment is too humid, it can naturally release water. , absorbing water, this regulatory effect is obviously very beneficial to the health of residents.
Extended information:
The defense system of Tulou
The bottom layer of the outer wall of Tulou is mostly made of granite stones and large river pebbles, bonded with Sanhe soil. One meter to two meters long, you are not afraid of enemy fire attacks; thick earth walls are invulnerable to arrows and bullets, and can also withstand artillery shells.
In 1934, when the National Revolutionary Army surrounded the Communist rebels who were defending an earth building, they shelled the earth building. Nineteen shells only left small holes in the outer wall of the earth building.
The stone wall is usually built two meters deep to prevent enemies from digging holes.
The first and second floors at the bottom of the exterior wall have no windows and are very tight.
The door frame is made of large pieces of granite. The door is made of two or three-inch thick wooden boards and covered with iron armor.
To prevent enemy fire attacks, a fire extinguishing tank is built on the top of the gate.
The highest floor of the outer wall of the Tulou is surrounded by shooting holes. Residents of the Tulou can use firearms from the shooting holes to shoot down the invading robbers or enemies.
The shooting hole is small on the outside and large on the inside, making it easy for the gun barrel to move up and down.
The circular corridor of the earth building, commonly known as the horse corridor, facilitates the mobilization of defense personnel and ammunition.
Some earth buildings, such as the Eryi Building, are equipped with horse corridors, which are replaced by circular passages close to the inner walls of the outer walls for the purpose of dispatching personnel and ammunition during wartime.
The earth buildings in many villages in southwest Fujian are even clustered into groups of earth buildings, forming a joint defense layout that is easy to defend but difficult to attack.
The warehouse on the ground floor of the tulou stores grain and ammunition, which can last for several months.
In case of emergency, there are secret passages in the earth buildings that lead to adjacent earth buildings or fields to facilitate the evacuation of residents.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Tulou