In addition to the 46 tulou included on the World Heritage List, some 23,000 are strewn across a wide area in the vast mountainous regions of Yongding.

Zhongchuan village in Xiayang town is one of these outposts, but it's nowhere near as famous as the Hongkeng and Chuxi clusters. The relatively low number of tourists means the village has retained many original features, which gives visitors the feeling they've traveled back to ancient times.

The narrow, winding alleys are full of surprises. The village is divided by a shallow river, and the dogs that lie on the narrow bridges crossing the watercourse and bask in the sun show no fear of humans.

Although one large tulou has been renovated to serve as a hotel, the others are still inhabited by local people, mainly the elderly.

One of the most outstanding is Fuzi Lou, one of the few tulou designed and constructed as a Chinese character. Looking down on the structure one can discern the character fu, which means "blessing".

Zhongchuan is also one of the famous points of departure for Chinese from Fujian province. The village has a population of 2,545, but some 15,000 Chinese who live overseas have their ancestral homes in the village.

(China Daily European Weekly 08/16/2013 page25)