Short answer
The Fujian Tulou are the Hakka rammed-earth buildings in the mountains west of Xiamen, inscribed by UNESCO in 2008 — 46 buildings across the region. The clusters open to visitors sit in Nanjing County (Zhangzhou) and Yongding County (Longyan), roughly 110–180 km away, and Xiamen is the gateway everyone uses: about two to three hours by road.
Public transport works, but it takes planning. The cleanest independent route is a high-speed train from Xiamen North or Xiamen Station to Nanjing Station — the one in Fujian, not Nanjing in Jiangsu — then a local bus or the scenic shuttle out to the clusters. Door to door, count on two and a half to three and a half hours. There are also direct long-distance coaches from Xiamen's bus stations to the villages around the main groups.
Many visitors skip the puzzle and take a day tour or a hired car, because of the last miles: the clusters are scattered across valleys, 10–40 km apart, and local buses run a few times a day at best. Tickets are sold per cluster, not as one regional pass, so decide which group you want first.
Which cluster should you pick?
There are three main counties of tulou, and the two that matter for a trip from Xiamen are Nanjing and Yongding. Pick one cluster group, not one of each.
| Cluster | Where | Known for | Drive from Xiamen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tianluokeng | Shuyang town, Nanjing County | The "four dishes and one soup" group — four round tulou and one square, seen from the viewing platform. Yuchang Lou (the leaning building) and Taxia village are on the same ticket | About 2.5 hours |
| Yunshuiyao | Nanjing County | The streamside old village under the banyan trees, with Hegui Lou, built on marshy ground, and Huaiyuan Lou | About 2.5 hours |
| Hongkeng | Hukeng town, Yongding | The folk-culture village, home to Zhencheng Lou, the most photographed of the Yongding buildings | About 3 hours |
| Gaobei | Hukeng town, Yongding | Chengqi Lou, called the "king of tulou" — the largest round building, and still lived in | About 3 hours |
| Chuxi | Xiayang town, Yongding | A hillside cluster of dozens of buildings, the least commercialised of the main groups | About 3 hours |
| Dadi | Hua'an County | The closest main cluster to Xiamen, with Eryi Lou and Nanyang Lou | About 2 hours |
Nanjing and Yongding are about 80 km apart, and even within one county the clusters are 15 km or more from each other. Two counties in one day means spending most of it in a car.
Three ways to get there
| Route | Time from Xiamen | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| High-speed train + local bus | 2.5–3.5 hours door to door | The Nanjing County clusters, and keeping costs down |
| Direct coach from a Xiamen bus station | About 3–3.5 hours | Reaching the villages directly, on a fixed schedule |
| Hired car or day tour | About 2.5–3 hours each way | Two clusters in one day without watching the clock |
| Train to Longyan, then local transport | An hour by train, plus a local leg | The Yongding side, including Chuxi |
Option 1 — high-speed train and the local bus
- Book a train to Nanjing Station (南靖站)High-speed services run from Xiamen North and Xiamen Station, roughly 30–50 minutes. Make sure your booking is for Nanjing, Fujian, the same name exists in Jiangsu, hundreds of kilometres away.
- Get from the station into Nanjing county townBus 6 connects the railway station with the county bus terminal, a short ride.
- Take the tulou shuttle or bus to the scenic areasScenic shuttles leave directly from Nanjing Station for the visitor centre, and the county terminal runs the tulou line. Expect an hour or more for the mountain stretch.
- Use the in-park shuttles to link the sightsInside the scenic area, shuttles connect the viewing platform, Yuchang Lou and Taxia village. They are ticketed separately from the entrance ticket.
- Plan the return before you set outBuses back to the station and county town thin out in the afternoon and last departures are early. Confirm the times locally when you arrive.
This route suits Tianluokeng and Yunshuiyao, both in Nanjing County. For Yongding, the alternative is a high-speed train to Longyan and then a local bus or taxi towards Hukeng or Xiayang.
Option 2, direct coaches from Xiamen
- Go to the right bus stationXiamen has several, and the direct tulou services leave from the long-distance stations rather than the tourist piers. Check the station name on your ticket carefully; this is the single most common mistake.
- Choose your village, not the countyCoaches run to Shuyang (for Tianluokeng), Hukeng (for Hongkeng and Gaobei), Xiayang (for Chuxi) and the Tulou bus station beside the Hongkeng cluster.
- Tell the driver where you are getting offThese buses stop several times along the way. Have the Chinese name of your village saved on your phone to show the driver.
- Buy the return leg a day ahead in high seasonSeats are limited and the afternoon returns fill up. Fares are modest, in the region of ¥60–75 one way, and change with the route.
The journey takes about three to three and a half hours. It is the cheapest independent option and the least flexible.
Option 3, a car, or a day tour
Because the sites are spread across valleys and English is rare outside the ticket offices, most foreign visitors join a small-group day tour or hire a car with a driver. Both solve the same problem: you reach two clusters instead of one, without watching the clock for the last bus.
Tickets and what a visit actually looks like
- Each scenic area has its own ticket. Tianluokeng and Yunshuiyao are commonly listed around ¥90 each, and the Hekeng folk-culture area around ¥50. A ticket for one does not cover the other, even though they are about 15 km apart.
- Scenic shuttles are usually extra, listed separately at around ¥15. Some packages bundle transport, so read what you bought.
- Buy through the scenic area's official WeChat account, or through a booking platform if you prefer an English checkout. Half-price concessions for students, seniors and children are standard on production of ID.
- Hours are daytime. The scenic areas are commonly published as opening around 8am and closing late afternoon, with longer hours in summer.
- A cluster takes three to four hours at a relaxed pace, including the climb to a viewing platform and a walk through a village.
Prices, hours and shuttle rules are set by the operators and change, check the official channel before you travel.
Staying overnight
Guesthouses inside and beside the tulou are the reason many people stay the night: you sleep in a building that has been in the same family for generations, and you are on site for the early light and the evening lights. Conditions are simple and rooms are small. Book ahead in spring and autumn, and confirm the property can register foreign guests.
Etiquette and practicalities
- These are homes. Families still live in the buildings you are walking through. Do not enter private rooms, and ask before photographing people.
- Bring cash on top of your phone. Alipay and WeChat Pay are near-universal, but small mountain shops and some tickets are easier with cash.
- Expect almost no English. Translation apps and a screenshot of your destination in Chinese carry the trip.
- Mountain roads are winding. If you are prone to car sickness, plan for it.
- Stairs are steep and wooden floors uneven, access inside is often up narrow staircases.
- Ignore the "free guide" pitches inside the clusters; they end in a shop.
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit the Fujian Tulou as a day trip from Xiamen?
Yes, but it is a long day: about 2.5 hours each way by road. A day tour covers one or two clusters; if you want to see the tulou at dusk, stay overnight instead.
Which is better, Nanjing Tulou or Yongding Tulou?
Nanjing for the classic photograph, Tianluokeng's "four dishes and one soup" group, and for the Yunshuiyao village. Yongding for Chengqi Lou, the largest round building, and the Hongkeng folk-culture village. Pick one county for a day trip.
How do I get to the tulou by public transport?
Take a high-speed train from Xiamen North or Xiamen Station to Nanjing Station in Fujian (30–50 minutes), then Bus 6 and the tulou shuttle, or the scenic shuttle from the station. Door to door that is roughly 2.5–3.5 hours.
Is there a bus straight from Xiamen?
Yes. Direct long-distance coaches run from Xiamen's bus stations to Shuyang, Hukeng, Xiayang and the Tulou bus station, taking about three to three and a half hours. Check which station your service leaves from.
Do I need to book tulou tickets in advance?
Not usually, except on holiday weeks, but buying through the scenic area's official WeChat account or a booking platform saves queueing. Each cluster has its own ticket and they do not cover each other.
How much do the tulou cost?
The main Nanjing scenic areas are commonly listed around ¥90 each and the Hekeng area around ¥50, with scenic shuttles usually separate at about ¥15. Prices are set by the operators and change, confirm on the official channel.
Can I stay in a tulou?
Yes. Guesthouses operate inside and beside several buildings, including in Yunshuiyao and Taxia village. Rooms are simple, and you should confirm that the property can register foreign guests.
Do the tulou close at night?
The villages are lived-in rather than gated, and the evening lights are a highlight, but the paid viewing platforms and interior sights keep daytime hours, commonly around 8am to late afternoon with longer summer hours.
Related reading
The UNESCO inscription, the counties involved and the cluster locations follow the World Heritage listing and the scenic areas' own visitor information. Train times and stations follow China Railway's published services; coach routes and fares follow the bus operators' published information; ticket prices, shuttle fees and opening hours follow the Nanjing and Yongding scenic areas' official notices. Times, fares, prices and schedules are set by the operators and change, confirm them on the official channel before you travel.