After seeing a village used for multiple film sets, Yun Shui Yao, it was onwards to yet another Earthen Tulou Building on the Fujian Tour. This one is called Hegui Lou Building and is situated in Pushan Village in Meilin Town in Nanjing County in the Fujian Province. Though it’s actually on the edge of Yun Shui Yao.
The walk up to it was along a cobble stones walkway.
Our lady tour guide in this part of the Fujian Tour was crap. She was rude and uninformative. Even when she took this photo of Panny and I she was talking on her phone. How rude! No tip for you love!
The Hegui Lou Building is rectangular and has 5 storeys. It is almost 22 metres high making it the tallest of all the rectangular Tulou in the area. Its survival is deemed miraculous as it was built on a swamp.
On the way in there is an abundance of vegetables drying in the sun.
Once inside this one is a lot different to the previous 2 we had been in.
There were a lot more tourists about and the shape of this one made it feel slightly less cosy. I think the circular ones were nicer.
The Hegui Lou Building was high and we went on each level walking round. The tour guide who was our driver for the whole day was a rude guy and had rushed us through the first few parts of the tour. They do this to try and save time and money. Panny and I were having none of it, so we decided to milk it in these few venues by staying longer in the next few places and refusing to leave. It’s funny how the tactics of these dickheads backfires in the end. What goes around comes around.
I had the Northern Ireland flag out on the top floor of the Hegui Lou Building. I’ve always carried this flag with me on my travels, dating back to 2001 when I was in Canada and Spain with the flag. Panny always takes these photos for me these days so I thank her for that, my last girlfriends and female friends (Gemma excepted) wouldn’t have done that and would have moaned a lot more.
Panny looking happy and not worried about the time passing by at the top of the Hegui Lou.
We did spend a lot more time walking around this Earthen Building.
More flag flying in the Hegui Lou Building.
Typical corridor. Each door on the right is someone’s home. Families to this day still live in them. It’s amazing. It’s a world apart from the area I grew up in.
You can tell this building is a lot bigger. It was built on a swamp which we learned. You might think that is stupid and wonder the reason,but don’t forget we walked by a river. Having the river nearby meant building two wells for a constant water supply. Being on swampy ground was unavoidable if they also wanted the luxury of fresh water supply.
The building is not free or shy of marketing and commercialism and Panny and I looked round all the stalls. I bought a few souvenirs, and the lady at the tea house (where I bought a magic frog) posed with the Northern Ireland flag.
Entrance to the Hegui Lou Building.
Cheap cigarettes for sale.
A few other tourists by the front entrance.
A religious room by the entrance.
To confuse you the place takes on a second name of Jin Yong Peng, but we’ll ignore that and call it the Hegui Lou Building only.
Standing on the marshy swampy area on the base. When you jump up and down on it, the stones sink and rise.
Market stalls selling all sorts of things, mostly tea and paintings but also musical instruments, banknotes, books and ornaments.
Oil paints. I bought one for my Dad here.
Panny inside Hegui Lou.
The well for the water supply, buckets were lowered down here. They now have piped water supply so less need to use the wells. This was the clean water.
One of the local residents looks down on us and waves from the balcony.
Some kind of sweet Chinese snack.
The second well. This was the dirty one. Basically one was for clean water and the other was to dispose of dirty water.
Sit down and have a tea, coffee or even a beer. Relaxed lifestyle here.
The guys selling paintings and tea.
The central part of the building had a separate use. Religion and meeting up, I believe.
The view from a window on one of the higher floors at the Hegui Lou. The village in behind is Yun Shui Yao, where we had come from.
Local ornaments line the window of this flat on one of the upper floors.
Old Chinese banknotes and coins. Although I collect this type of thing, I didn’t buy any. Not just to travel light but to save some money. I bought presents for family on this trip instead.
The lady pours us some tea and shows us the magic frog. A frog which changes colour under the influence of hot water. Magic! I bought it for my family.
Panny drinks the tea, I noticed the glass read YPY at the bottom – her initials as Yu Pan Yu, the English interpretation of her Chinese name.
YPY! The tea was as ever excellent. Tea in China really is quite superb.
Exquisite door entrance to the Hegui Lou Building.
When we came out, our driver had parked up the wee hill by a main road. It was from here we would get back in and travel onwards to the Gaobei Hamlet.
The final few photos at the impressive Hegui Lou Building.
Panny and I both posed outside.
I always keep my tickets as keepsakes and put them in my file for that particular trip. Especially the Chinese ones. I just find it so interesting, the fact that I can’t read any of it makes it even better. This ticket was for the tour of the town Yun Shui Yao as well as the Hegui Lou Building.
Where – Hegui Lou Building, Yun Shui Yao, Pushan Village, Meilin Town, Nanjing County, Fujian Province, CHINA
What – Hegui Lou Building is a 5 storey rectangular Earthen Tulou Building built on a marshy swamp by the river
Nationalities Met – Chinese
Key Song –
OASIS – BAG IT UP:
My Videos –
DRYING VEGETABLES AND FRUIT OUTSIDE THE HEGUI LOU BUILDING:
COLOUR CHANGING FROG INSIDE THE HEGUI LOU BUILDING:
TOP OF HEGUI LOU BUILDING:
MARKET IN HEGUI LOU BUILDING:
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