This "ugly" earth building in Nanjing, Fujian Province is actually a "wonderful building". It was suspended on a swamp in 288
Tulou are known as miracles in the history of architecture. The place where you can see the most Tulou in China is Nanjing, Zhangzhou. It is known as the "Kingdom of Tulou". Among them, the most "ugly" one is also the most famous. It has to be Heguilou. Why is it called "ugly"? Compared with other earth buildings listed as world heritage, although it is tall, it has two obvious cracks on the front, and there are no dragons and phoenixes inside the building. However, this earth building that looks "unprepossessing" is praised as " The most amazing building in the world."
The biggest "oddness" of Hegui Tower is that it is built on swamp land. It is hard to imagine that such a huge building can be built on the pulpy swamp land. Therefore, it has a good reputation - "the swamp on the swamp". Noah’s Ark”. It was built in 1732, the tenth year of Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty, and has a history of 288 years. So why did you choose to build earth buildings on swamp land back then? At that time, Jian Ciping, the 13th generation of the Jian family who was taught by Meilin, saw that the terrain at the foot of Hubeiling Mountain was like a belly bag, so he went to consult the geography teacher. After looking at it, the geography teacher told him that this was a geomantic treasure land, and his descendants would be prosperous and prosperous in the future. Good luck in reading, good fortune, wealth and longevity. When Jian Ciping heard this, he didn't even take the exam, and was determined to establish a foundation here. As Mr. Feng Shui expected, many celebrities such as scholars, Jinshi, and industrialists came out of Hegui Tower.
As the saying goes: "The wind blows the cedar tree for thousands of years, and the water soaks the pine tree for thousands of years." Pine trees will not rot after being soaked in water for thousands of years. During the construction of the earth building, Jian Ciping used a lot of pine wood and drove piles on the sunken wall. According to data, the construction of this earth building lasted 5 years and cost 15,000 taels of silver. It used 220 fir pillars with a diameter of 20 cm and 780 beams with a diameter of 65 cm. The vertical columns and beams were all manually constructed. It can be said that the design is exquisite and the investment is huge. . Nowadays, if you jump in the courtyard of the building, you can still feel its vibrations. The entire earth building floats on the swamp like a ship. After nearly 300 years of ups and downs, it still stands firm despite major earthquakes. It is like Father Time, telling people the light of transcendent wisdom of the ancestors and the prosperous history of a family
It is a miracle to build a building on the swamp, and once it is built, it becomes the famous Fujian Square The tallest among the earth buildings, it has five floors and is 21.5 meters high. Standing in front of the building gives you a sense of oppression, and you have to admire the wisdom and superb memory of the ancestors.
Another strange thing about Hegui Tower is that there are two wells, Yin and Yang, in the building. One well is clear and can be drunk, while the other is turbid. The two are only a few meters apart.
"If a house contains a building, it will not be rare; if a building contains a house, you will get rich." This is a local proverb, and this concept is also integrated into the layout of Hegui Building. Jian Ciping used a single-story house outside the door of the building to form an 11-meter-deep front yard. The square building also contained a single-story school. A corridor was built in front of the school to form a central patio, which was paved with pebbles. The unique structure of Cuobaolou and Loubaocuo reflects the Tulou people’s pursuit of a better life and their hopes for future generations.
This earth building in Nanjing, Fujian, which looks "ugly" on the outside, is actually a "wonderful building", suspended on a swamp for 288 years!
Hegui Tower
Address: Pushan Village, Meilin Town, Nanjing County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province
Ticket: 90 yuan (including Yunshuiyao, Huaiyuan Tower, and Hegui Tower) Three attractions on the floor)
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00