I have heard, read and seen much about the Hakka Tulou on TV and in books. And never thought I’d ever have the chance to live in one … and here I am! In all honesty, I wasn’t prepared for the ultra simplicity of it and I was rather shaken when I stepped into my humble dwellings. However, I survived and live to tell! 

Our accommodation is one of the “better” equipped ones; meaning it has air-condition, clean beddings, en-suite western bathroom facilities (meaning sitting, not squatting toilets); But all that, in the most basic of fashions. 

We were treated to kind hospitality from our hosts, Stephen and his parents, Mr & Mrs Lin, who run the entire Tulou “hotel”. During peak seasons, the popular establishment houses up to 200 guests.

During our stay, the hotel was quiet and had just around 10 guests of which 6 were us. So we pretty much enjoyed the place to ourselves. Upon checking in, we relaxed at the courtyard with Mr Lin over some cold beers and Chinese tea, and chatted while Mrs Lin prepared a fried fish afternoon snack. The family Tulou goes back 4 generations and Stephen had just taken over the reins, managing the heritage accommodation with new ideas and improvements. We were impressed with his good knowledge of the English language, food and beverage and his decent stock of imported wines. Mrs Lin appeared with a much needed afternoon snack, a heap of freshly deep fried baby yellow fish which came out steaming hot and smelling delicious. They were peppery salty and crispy, perfect with the ice cold beers. 

For dinner, we ordered from a simple homemade menu featuring Mrs Lin’s family recipes, using produce grown and reared locally. It was authentically local farm to. 

We started with Local Herbal chicken soup ~ Half a lean farm-raised chicken simmered with Chinese herbs for hours yielded a clean clear broth. Dig deeper and you’ll find some chicken ovaries that’s probably not common to most people. They taste just like warm cooked yolks and weren’t hard to enjoy at all! The warming soup was just the thing we needed in the cool pre-summer weather. 

Chicken in Hakka Rice Wine ~ The other half of the chicken was used in a stir fry using the province’s home brewed wine, a deep rich liquor that gave the chicken meat a sweet warm licorice flavor. While I loved the warm winey sauce the chicken meat was too lean and muscular for me. I like my chickens meaty and fatty!

Hakka Salted Pork Ribs ~ Local pork ribs braised in a savory brown sauce long enough for a tender juicy finish. The sticky salty gravy was rich and went well with plain rice. It’s the kinda dish you’d come home to after school or work and devour 2 bowls of rice with! 

Hakka Stuffed Tofu ~ Likely the most popular of Hakka Cuisine, these stuffed tofus were so, so good , I could have them on repeat. Soft home made tofu stuffed with  savory minced meat filling, lightly fried and finished with a soy bean sauce. This is simple and delicious with balanced flavors. Another dish that goes extremely well with steamed white rice. 

Braised Beef Short Ribs ~ Another gravy laden dish… bring on more rice!! The ribs were savory and rich, spiced in deep Asian spices, prominent but not overpowering. The meat tears off easily but not without bite. The sauce is infused with preserved black beans and specks of mild chili. Intense, in a great way.

Braised Lamb Ribs ~ This turned out to be everyone’s favorite. Succulent lamb ribs cooked fork-tender in warm hints of cinnamon and anise. It retained just a teeny bit of gaminess which wasn’t the tiniest turnoff. Lean and fatty in all the right places. Very well executed. 

The entire meal was simple and exotic; familiar yet unique, some more appealing than others. The flavors were definitely not the usual we’re used to but all in a good way. I was very happy to be able to taste something different, something local, something coming from somebody else’s heritage. I would not expect to find the same flavors back home, which makes this experience memorable. 

Longyan is a prefecture in Fujian. It is rich in Hakka heritage. The Yongding Hakka Earth buildings (Tulou 土楼）is possibly the most significant attraction found in this area. These are typically  circular (although some are square) buildings with thick earthen walls, with some housing up to 800 people. It is a self sufficient and sustaining community and is quite a marvel if you read about it. 

If you’re game for a real local homestay in one of the world’s most unique heritage constructions, dive right in and make a Tulou homestay your next destination! 

CHANGDI INN  @ Fuyu Building, Hongkeng Tulou Folk Culture Village, I District, Longyan, Fujian, 364111 . Phone: +86-597-5532800, +86-13799097962

Disclaimer – This is not a sponsored post.