TELLBY
English
Heritage

Yuchang Building

Fujian · China

8 story sections

Later after lunch, you will continue visit the “rickety building”-Yuchang Building which is the oldest and largest round building known so far. You will see the teetering columns that seems almost to collapse but to your surprise it has undergone seven hundred years of erosion and numerous earthquakes. It has still remained the same as ever and has become a living specimen of ancient residential buildings.

History & cultureBY TELLBY

Contents

8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines
  1. 1Yuchang Building

    Welcome to Yuchanglou, arguably the most intriguing of all the Fujian Tulou. Known widely as the Leaning Building, this structure presents a profound architectural paradox that has baffled visitors and engineers for centuries. …

    Listen in the app
  2. 2The Exterior Walls — Rammed Earth Fortification

    As we approach the main entrance of Yuchanglou, let us first analyze the massive exterior walls that define its presence. These walls are a triumph of rammed earth technology, standing nearly twenty meters high. …

    Listen in the app
  3. 3The Zigzag Pillars — A Structural Mystery

    Now, let us turn our attention to the most famous feature of Yuchanglou: the leaning pillars of the interior galleries. As you look up at the five stories of wooden balconies, you will see that the vertical supports are not…

    Listen in the app
  4. 4The Ground Floor — Kitchens and Living Spaces

    In the traditional layout of a Tulou, the ground floor is the domain of fire and social life. At Yuchanglou, the first floor is divided into multiple units, each belonging to a family. …

    Listen in the app
  5. 5The Second Floor — The Granary and Storage

    Ascending to the second floor, we enter the storage level of the Tulou. In a traditional Hakka household, this floor served as the granary, where the year's harvest of rice and other staples was kept secure. …

    Listen in the app
  6. 6The Upper Floors — Bedrooms and Private Life

    The third, fourth, and fifth floors of Yuchanglou are where the residents actually live. These are the private sleeping quarters for the families. …

    Listen in the app
  7. 7The Ancestral Hall — The Spiritual Anchor

    At the very center of Yuchanglou's courtyard stands the ancestral hall. In any Tulou, this is the most important space, serving as the spiritual and social anchor for the entire community. …

    Listen in the app
  8. 8Closing

    As we leave Yuchanglou, let us take one final look at its leaning silhouette against the Fujian sky. This building is a powerful reminder that stability does not always come from perfect verticality. …

    Listen in the app

What is Yuchang Building?

Yuchang Building is a place in Fujian · China with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.

Key facts
LocationFujian · China
TypeHeritage
Story sections8
Text languageEnglish
Coordinates24.5912, 117.0470
Last updated

Nearby places

within a 5-minute walk
Listen in the app