What makes it even more interesting is that you spoke to people who actually lived there their entire lives. The way they describe their own lives in that place and point out small little things makes the whole place come alive. Much better than having a professional tour guide just giving a talk.
Hmmm....one person catches a cold (or covid), and.... 😧😱😷 But if you needed a cup of sugar, you were all set! Would have been an amazing place to see in its heyday. 👍
I can't believe I live in a time when I can just watch a video about an entire Chinese community and learn about their lifestyle, all in my home in a completely different continent. Thank you for sharing
I second that. I feel like the message we get in the states is that everything is censored and impossible to see anything out of there. I love seeing “real life” even when I travel, so this is right up my alley. I love your impeccable command of English and the casual narration . I will be watching your video of the travels and less than a calendar year, I hope, and Barry will tell us a little bit about you.
@booksale5 Who's censored? Please, tell me. Here's my take. Our Chinese "Great Firewall" is our Mexican Wall; it's meant to keep your "free world" garbage, be it delivered by a "Model Race" face or otherwise, out of China. The wall obviously does NOT keep ourselves in. I mean, it is the United States, under both Biden and Trump, that wishes to ban Chinese students. The Chinese Communists are not the least bit worried about people experiencing the "free world". After all, this experience generates the most devout and patriotic Communists of the next generation - anything and everything to fuck the "free world" dead. Unfortunately, our Foreign Office is too out of practice and too beholden to "traditional" "Chinese" "mannerisms" to fuck the "free world" where it hurts. At least there are signs of a pulse now, namely, those who have come to be known as the "wolf warriors" are such signs. Primitive as their retorts are, there's now hope that, even if the Communists were to be gone, the billion zingers I have against "free world" propaganda may yet play a pivotal role in freeing humanity from the "free world".
Maybe you want to comment about this host's channel name, "little Chinese everywhere". When you encounter such naive Chinese essentially using RU-vid to practice English, you should bring them up to speed about the skeletons of the "free world". It sure beats pretending that her example can be used in any way to confirm the conditioned beliefs of "free world" citizens. This way, "free world" "news" or "dissident" "news" will have less of a market to abuse videos like this to declare: "Fuck the Communists, look at the poor condition of those houses!" Bltch please.
What they call "jars" are actually large pots or crocks. In the US rabbits are usually raised in cages little more than 18" square foot each rabbit. LOL But - until I saw the "jars" admittedly I was aghast too! .. I envisioned a full grown rabbit or a litter of baby rabbits squeezed into a 1 gallon mason jar. 😂 The "jars" they used were ample size for a rabbit and would offer a "den-like" environment rabbits enjoy. So worry not brother. 🥂Cheers
The houses are fascinating but what really impressed me is your way of putting people at ease so they feel comfortable. I feel like I got a sense of what these people are like.
Yes!! Really excellent. This is exactly the kind of content I want to see, too -- I feel like many people try to do this, but it really takes a special person to make locals comfortable enough to speak openly and relaxed like this.
People from rural areas are always more friendly and kind than those living in the city. And this is not an unique thing from China, It's the same situation in all countries too. I guess is because they live less stressed and more chill life.
@@SleepingLittleHedgehog Yea, imagine in the big cities, someone come to your home n start wanting to explore and make content without knowing who u are. The next second the cops gonna come and get u lol.
The Chinese words for Hokkien mean "guest" and "home". Supposedly they are an ethnic minority group famed for their hospitality. Also, I think there is a sense of camaraderie among Chinese folk that I think may be a product of the Socialist ethic.
This was just BEAUTIFUL 😢…an entire community living, supporting and cooking together to benefit one another. As an Indigenous Native American, it sounds Amazing. My Tribe had a historical closeness with the Chinese who came to work on the RR, we traded medicine and other goods with one another prior to the Gold Rush. Bless these elders who remember their ancestors and how they lived. Thanks for sharing this.
I was thinking the same thing, my tribe would line our long houses up in similar ways for similar reasons. if there were a bunch of kids running around on a pepsi high and more loud nonsense going on in the background you coulda told me they were native.
I'm Chinese (by descent) and have always been fascinated by the culture of the Native Americans. I also sympathize with the painful experiences endured by the Native Americans in recent history. It is delightful in this respect that some of you should be attracted to aspects of China's traditional culture. Much appreciation, and best wishes for you and for your people.
@@joriankell1983 Actually there's probably no race that has not been exploited by others at some point in its history. From the 16th to the 18th century Europeans, the British included, were very often abducted by pirates from North Africa and forced to work for Muslim masters as concubines, galley slaves or laborers. Professor Robert Davis from Ohio State University claimed as much.
So cool to see how people lived communally for so long! The design of all the doors facing the court yard give so much more of a communal feel than apartment complexes
@@cheekymonkey8818 Americans are only scared about socialism because they don't know what it is, every time they try to talk about it they just describe capitalism lol
Any of your reletives lived in Calcutta, India? I'm from there and there are Hakka Chineese there that have been there for more than 100 years and even before that. By the late 2000's most migrated away.
@JeanRKF Chan why aren't you doing your part to keep your culture alive? What are you doing? If you leave it to others cultures dilute, change and die.
I'm of Hakka descendant too and it's great to see the culture still remaining til this day considering how Hakka people are titled as "Nomads" because they travel across the world to settle down
Beautiful. This video brings tears to my eyes. I'm from western India. My ancestors built a big house about a 500 years ago. At it's peak it had 75 family and also cattle. It was surrounded by farms and gardens where our ancestors cultivated food. Now it's gone, I live in an apartment in a crowded city
I think if people lived like they really wanted to, it would be in a communal setting. We see that around the world. But now we have tears for what is lost. I am hoping that one day our cities will be like we really want them to be, but since we are human, I know it will be like it was again. One day we will be the ancestors that our future generations will feel sad about and perhaps cry a little for us.
Great content. Other youtubers only tried to show the surfaces of China, big cities, tourist places, newly built buildings and shopping malls. They tend to forget that China is very big and only few big cities do not represent the whole China. There are so many towns and villages in China are still living like the old days which make them culturally interesting, not tall buildings or neon led lights all over and no trees at all.
Dear friend, your understanding is somewhat biased. In fact, there are nearly 300 cities in China. This does not include some of the smaller cities and towns we call county seats. Among them, there are 36 major cities, with the smallest population exceeding 1 million and the largest number tens of millions. The problem now is excessive urbanization, too rapid urbanization, which has brought many problems. Her video is true, but we must also realize that most people living in the countryside are old people, and almost all young people have gone to the city. This is the biggest problem facing China, the shrinking of rural areas and small cities.
Hi Yan, thank you for making this video. My family are Malaysian Hakka people and my father’s paternal grandparents left their homeland in 永定县, 下洋镇, 太平村 (Yong Ding County, Xia Yang Town, Tai Ping village) and migrated to Malaysia in the early 20th century. My father has never had the opportunity to visit China so he was very grateful to see the tulou: “This is a fantastic video, I feel like I had been there after watching it. At the ending part that lady spoke a quite different Hakka from ours. Thanks for the lady video producer, it's a very good video.” 🙏 Thank you for reconnecting us with our homeland and I look forward to visiting Yongding in person!
This is the first video I have watched from your channel, I was completely absorbed. How lucky that you met the friendly woman who gave you the tour. And when you walked in on the 88 year old woman’s “home” it was completely open, she was right there. I’ve struggled much of my adult life to pay rent on the west coast of US and this type of housing is so appealing to me. Big open spaces, safe for kids, elderly and everyone, I always like focusing on something alone but knowing there are familiar people and activity nearby. And room for a dragon dance in courtyard :) I will subscribe and watch more. Well done.
Elise…Same here about the rent on the east coast of the U.S. Our country is too expensive and why we all feel the need to live apart from each other I’ll never understand. I’m an hour and a half from my mom and dad and 2 hours from one son. I wish we could all just be around each other daily.
@@ChristysChannelYall blame building codes and politicians. Its illegal to build anything other than single family detached homes in many areas of the US. It’s terrible
That's my hometown right there!!! Proud to be a Fujianese : ) Living in the U.S., a lot of people don't understand how collectivity is embedded in Chinese culture and history. Concepts like communal living, sharing resources, and socialism may come a lot more naturally to us, compared to the neoliberal individualist culture in the U.S.
@@mochichichi2458 Honestly the secret police that operate with impunity in Chinatowns across the US are more dangerous. It’s not *that* often that there are hate crimes but if you immigrated and speak out about certain things there are certain shady organizations that will pay you visits or threaten your family.
I loved this video too. American here and quite often I think that this type of community is exactly what is missing from American culture. Everyone here is so lonely. I love my privacy but life is a lot more difficult without a wide net of support.
This isn’t just socialism, it’s National Socialism and/or just properly preserved nationalism For centuries America had that in spades our first continental congress created laws to protect its people’s heritage our culture was finally eroded destroyed in 1965 by the Hart Cellar immigration act
I am of Hakka heritage with family living around the world for a few generations now and this really moved me. it gave me a glimpse of my grandparents lives growing up and the 88 year old made me think of one of my grandmas who passed away for quite a few years now: she always talked about the big house back in china, the mountains, etc. Thank you for sharing this video.
You do a really excellent work, no prejudice, no political, no commercialism, just pure and honest Chinese people, that’s the real Chinese. I like your videos 😊👍
I don't know why but when she flew the drone, I started to tear up a bit. I think it was because of how everyone was interacting with each other and the excitement from the elderly people. You can tell the people living in the Tsu Clan Tulou would take in a random person and treat them as their own without asking any questions.
I’m thinking about how much healthier this type of living must be for the elderly, rather than like where I am from in the USA where many elderly end up alone, their families scattered across the country with no one coming to visit or check on them and their health declines accordingly
This really hit me too. What happened in the west? We behave so differently in a really bad way. Like I wrote in another comment I can't even remember the last time I talked with one of my neighbours and I live in a 7 storey building.
I visited the tulou over CNY 2018 - the tourist ones but also stayed in a small village to celebrate CNY eve, and it was amazing. I'm an expat living in China 10 years and one thing I can say about Chinese people, at least from my own experiences, they are so welcoming, love to welcome you into their homes, no matter whether they are rich or not, and constantly want to feed you lol. Language barrier does not exist because actions speak louder than words.
@@TheTacoAlmightyA migrant is a person who moves from one place to another, either temporarily or permanently. An expatriate refers to someone who has moved to another country temporarily. An immigrant is someone who has moved to another country permanently.
Thank you so much for the videos! As an American, the more our (or any) nation's relationships hit rough times with another , the more I find myself wanting to be sure I find ways to learn about and connect with that nation's citizens. Videos such as yours are invaluable to help us grow from a place of ignorance, and to better understand and empathize with our neighbors abroad. :) 给中国的朋友们，我希望在不久的将来能够访问你们的国家！我正在努力学习普通话和广东话，希望能在来之前学会读和说。我现在还不太擅长，但我会继续努力的！
Good for you on learning to speak/ read/ write Chinese! It’s a very challenging language but I have no doubt you’ll do great. I wish more people would put our political differences aside and remember we are all human beings with similar struggles and dreams.
My mother is Hakka, and I feel quite emotionally connected to what is shown in this video, even though I've never visited a tulou in person. We speak a completely different type of Hakka and I couldn't understand any of the Hakka here 😅😂 Just goes to show how many different types of spoken Hakka there are, as it varies according to the regions where Hakkas settled. Tq Yan, for showing us the lives of the genuine, local people, leading their everyday lives.
I have not had a Chinese vlogger come up on my feed before and have never been to China and only watched some documentaries mainly about the city life, work conditions and on politics and economy.. This was a lovely video. These houses are amazing. I have subscribed and look forward to watching more of your travel videos around the country. Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪
I loved seeing the honest friendliness of all the people. They welcomed you right off and brought you into their homes and offered food. Just good people, and it's a joy to meet others who are for me, on the opposite side of the world. Thank you for this lovely meeting with my fellow brothers and sisters.
This was my impression too, all of them were so open and friendly! A stranger literally walks into their home and they greet them with smiles and offer them food like they’re an old friend. Such a lovely video!
Woah is this the kind of communal home that inspired Big Fish & Begonia, like even the wells, and the playgrounds are so similar, it's so magical to see the home coming to life!
I am a fourth generation Hokkien who was born overseas and has never stepped back into Fujian. Thank you for sharing a piece of my family's history. It was so wonderful seeing the tulou.
I'm a Hokkien born overseas and I have never known this (I was so intrigued by it when I saw it on Mulan) Growing up, we've been to China many times but never visiting this communal place. I guess one day I can bring it up to my dad when we plan on visiting China again. Thanks for sharing!
@@rscl22 Ah speaking about Mulan, yeah it is a thing in Southern Dynasty since back then! Although that's quite inaccurate since Mulan is supposed to live in Northern Dynasty.
I was born and raised Midwest United States.. and I was absolutely blown away at the fact she kept walking into people's homes! Like people she'd never met before, she would walk up to their front door and stand there... and the people would quickly say "are you visiting?" or they would quickly wave her into the door. Men, women, elderly.. everyone. Wow. It's so sad, but here in the US, in the times we live, if my daughter decided to take road trip across the country alone... I'd be so afraid it would be the last time I saw her.. and it very well could be.
It's mostly because now everyone is living in big cities and only visit the countryside for new years or to see relatives. They probably thought she was related to the family some way.
@@heythave Oh you mean that one story you saw from NY state that the media popularized despite the fact that morders happen all over that state weekly? And you think that makes it ok for you to generalize that “ *people* are shot dead by showing up in the driveway” ?
I lived in China for many years and this channel is superb, absolutely the best I have ever seen. This is the real China. I miss it so much. It also shows how food is celebrated in China like nowhere else. Thank you so much.
This video is making me feel things about the collective nature of humans. Working together to raise and maintain a community. I can hear the thundering footsteps of all the children running through the hallways as all their parents doorsteps fly by. And playing out in the courtyard, always within sight of home.
As a Chinese person living many years in foregin country it almost brings tears to my eyes to be able to see authentic exploration of the many beauties of our motherland. I really miss China, going back soon! Thank you !
Thank You, Yan, for this special tour of Tolous. The welcoming and hospitality accorded to you , a stranger, from the good lady and her neighbours , probably the outcome of community living and life of sharing, giving and tolerance. Good to know that such fast- disappearing kindness still exist. Good Work!
You’ve got yourself a new subscriber. I love that you go to less touristy places. That’s where you find the real people’s spirit. Great work, love the music you selected.
Your channel makes Chinese culture a bit more accessible, and it all looks super genuine. I found china to be quite obscure/dense to the western world and for visitors who might not have a friend in China to show them around. Thanks for this! I think this channel is quite a novelty.
That’s not by accident. The CCP is largely to blame for that unfortunately. They only want to show the world the “best” parts of China. Sadly much of the nuance is lost. Ironically, this video showcases a more “real” form of socialism than what the CCP represents. Sad that their agenda for growth at all costs (read:capitalism) is drawing most of their youth away to let places like this decay.
Not only the visual of these communities and their construction was fascinating, but the hospitality of all of the people was a joy to see. You did a great job in presenting this lifestyle. This is not something that I normally watch, but you intrigued me from the start. Well done.
These buildings have been standing longer than the United States has been a country! What an amazing look into the beautiful historical architecture of China. Edit: I see people have made this their place to post ignorant comments so allow me to cite specific parts of the video for you. 16:53 This house is also 2 or 3 hundred years old. 19:17 This one is built in the Ming dynasty. (which ended in 1644) 19:50 This one has a history of more than 400 years. 19:55 It was renovated last year (2022).
And from the looks of it hasn't had another second spent repairing it since it was built. That entire building looks like it is rotting and one earth quake away from collapsing on all those people.
Alot of public housing for the elderly in the US is moving towards similar buildings because studies have shown how much communal interactions improve older people's health. Cool to see these historic micro communities, thanks for sharing.
Not just for the elderly but *everyone* living in such a place. I'm sure it isn't always sunshine but then again is it anywhere in this world nowadays? I'd pack my bags and move into such a housing in a heartbeat but we have nothing even remotely close to that in my country.
At 18:37, this pickled pear is made from traditional lactobacillus-fermented Asian sweet pears, a famous appetizer in Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. The process involves lacto-fermentation, producing lactase that makes the pickled pear rich in nutrients and refreshing, with a noticeable slimming effect. Similar to how Western medicine uses lactase to make tablets aiding appetite and digestion, this pickled pear is beloved by many young women. I tasted it once in a beverage shop in Guangxi and was instantly captivated. During that occasion, I consumed around ten pickled pears on my own.
This is SO COOL to see on RU-vid ! I may never get to see these parts of China in person and I’m so grateful you are able to share your travels with us armchair voyagers!
Both the narration and architecture was beautiful. I often feel that modern buildings in my country don't reflect our history may be it is the same in China. Modern architecture should get inspiration from these buildings so it gets preserved and doesn't look like any other modern city in the world. Greetings from India
Truly authentic . The woman who showed you all around reminds me of my village where the people are as friendly as she is. There are no such large community houses in India. It is really a unique culture . Just imagine how closely knit is the community. Wonderful, extraordinary, Great . Sad to see that such traditions are not promoted nowadays. And hence LOVE & AFFECTION within the communities are dwindling. Thank you so much for showing us the real , old , authentic , beautiful CHINA . I wish CHINESE will take all the necessary steps to preserve their culture . LOVE FROM INDIA 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Not so large but India do have rectangular Tulou type Chawls we call it in Maharashtra. Not as big to house more than 20-40 people though. Building style is similar with rammed clay built with Teak wood load bearing structures.
This type of community is brilliant. Such support for every age. Having the kitchens on the ground floor and the open central courtyard is very friendly, no loneliness living here. No privacy either, but as you age that becomes less important. I found it interesting that they were lived in by a single clan.
I have to disagree with your comment about privacy becoming less important as you age. I'm 73 and I definitely value my privacy, lol. I would love to have my family all around me instead of spread all ove rthe U.S., but even with them, I still need my privacy. Not being disagreeable, just saying. 😊
Ummmm, I have cousins that had like 8 sibilings they value there privacy and all live away from eachother. They value there privacy as do I . Source from a Close knit Muslim Family. Privacy and space is verrrrrry much important espically in these time as the elders are just so different how things are done in current times. As I get older I value my privacy way more then I did in the past. As well privacy for keeping a job as well. (I habent a single clue wth the op is talking about)
There can be alot of abuse in such areas as well. If you dont fit in, it can be very much a personal hell hole and a path towards extreme isolation and stillness.
thank you for this awesome video! Born as a hokkien(fujian) in Singapore and with my mum's side as cantonese, im so blessed to be able to understand both hokkien & cantonese, hakka have such a similarity with hokkien and cantonese at the same time! Now im residing in Australia, these videos helps alot of us living in western countries to appreciate our heritage so much more! Hope to be able to explore China more too in future times!
community living and joint families were the norm in ancient cultures - save space, smaller carbon footprint, social development, childcare, senior care, continuous learning!
I don't know why, but even though I'm not Hakka and both sides of my family have their origins in the northern and central parts of China rather than the south, this tulou still feels like home. I think it's because the people seem extraordinarily hospitable, and the interiors of their homes look just like those of other homes I've visited while in China. I'm sure communal living has its downsides, but given my current living situation (alone), living in a tulou actually seems like it wouldn't be so bad, even if I had to give up some creature comforts.
My mother's family is from a village and whenever I visit them they're so nice. The villagers treat you like family right away even though they know you're only a visitor. Nice to see that this kind of human interaction is universal in other places around the world too. Great channel.
…Well…kinda. She had to get permission from the CCP before going and the local CCP head from that village would have first visited the dwellings she would be allowed to film at, and spoke to the residents about “friendly interactions.”…… As a Chinese, the content producer is not allowed to film locally for an international audience (even RU-vid) without CCP oversight; they are very paranoid over what the outside world sees of China….Only exception to this oversight are the vids shown on shows such as, “China Insights” or “China Observer”-but these are vids taken off the Chinese app, What’sApp-and were not made for outside consumption…
@@Shineon83 ok, because I was wondering how was she able to move about so freely without seeing the CCP being all over this and she's on RU-vid also which I was so amazed. But I still appreciate seeing the authentic China with county sides and unique little cities and villages.
@@jdub7775 😂 I'm just happen to see such a insane comment like above... The story is just LMAO that ccp is auditting every video. Political junk like above just popping everywhere which is quite annoying...
@@Shineon83 You can come to China by yourself. I can guarantee that the CCP won't prevent you from going anywhere, filming any video, or uploading it wherever you want😅 Indeed, China has a population of 1.4 billion people, and millions of tourists visit every year. Do you understand the scale of this? Do you really believe the CCP can engage in some "friendly interactions" with every local before each tourist arrives? Well, it seems like every CCP member would need a hundred clones to accomplish that.
Hello Yan, I found this video by chance. As a Chinese-American, I'm really enjoying this exposure to a different side of China I've never seen before. Thank you for the subtitles too, as my Chinese has been getting rusty and it really helps me to practice. Subscribed!
Outstanding, Yan. You are an extremely talented documentary maker. You take the viewer along with you as you leisurely explore these remote locations. Your words are well chosen and enhance the visual experience. Thank you.
I loved watching this, the respect you gave to each person and happiness from everyone was beautiful. I love how welcoming everyone was and seeing your culture and the way everyone lives. I am Australian and we live so differently so it’s nice to see how others live 💕
This just showed up in my feed and I have to say, the RU-vid algorithm did good work this time! What a fascinating vlog and a delightfully charming hostess. Wonderful content! I loved to see how the Hakka people lived, courtesy of the hospitable Hakka lady who gave you such an insightful tour. In fact, all these wonderful people were so hospitable! Thank you so much for this terrific insight in everyday Chinese life. I send you many warm greetings and huge hugs from Scotland x
The people you meet are all soooo nice …my heart always melts and go soft when i see them welcome you with a smile ….i use to live in china for 6 years during those time i also meet a lot of nice people when i go far from the big cities…I always get teary when i see old people looking so happy and preserving their culture and traditions 💕
Very interesting! It made me wonder if "little villages" like these could be a solution for housing our homeless who are now in tents or just outside on the ground. Room enough to have some services on site like counseling, doctor, food... maybe even some schoolrooms.
I am a 4th generation overseas Chinese/Hakka, our family members visited one of the tulou where the Hakka lives, our ancestor's homeland few years back. ♥️
I love this! I took Mandarin in high school and I became fascinated with Chinese culture. It's so wonderful to see the sense of community in villages. Your video has inspired me to start learning the language again!
In all the videos that I’ve watched, the people are always friendly and willing to talk to her and give her lots of information about their place/culture/community. The grandpa she talked to in the 2nd tulou she visited reminded me of my grandpa the way he was dressed - the dress shirt, vest, and the beret/hat. Even the way he was sitting on the chair with his legs crossed as he was watching over his baozi. 😊
….Uh….there’s a reason for that (you DO know that she must get all filming approved beforehand by the Nat’l CCP? And that local Communist leaders visit whichever places she intends to visit first-and ensure residents will show a “friendly face” of China to an international audience)? She wouldn’t dare film without permission as she could be arrested (only exception would be if it were to be posted only on What’sApp - the Chinese version of RU-vid)
@@Shineon83 you have proof of this? and what difference would it make. if you wouldnt be hospitable to people without a government telling you thats a you problem
@@hhhahahhhahha It’s law in China (and carries severe penalties if violated). No filming for foreign usage, without CCP approval….You may very well be right : all of the ppl in the vid may have been just as nice without any prodding by local CCP….(but, we’ll never really know, will we)?
@@Shineon83 Again, what difference would it make and what use is your speculation without evidence other than to raise doubt. The CCP is actually the reason your mom and friends are nice to you too, otherwise they'd be treating you like the annoyance you are
Wow this is very good. I am not sure but I feel very satisfied watching your content. I don't know what makes it so attractive but I am addicted to your videos
Amazing video as always! China is a big place with many different groups and cultures. So far I've watched all of your videos with every second and I have learned a lot from them. Thank you Yan! 🥰
I think Tulou is an inspiration behind architecture of Apple's headquarter. It's so beautiful and we'll organised structure. Why does modern society declines our ancient way of living, it was way more meaningful and beautiful than the modern one. Love from India ❣️🇮🇳😊
I love learning about other cultures. My 7th grade teacher used to go to China every summer and show us his photos but they don’t tell the whole story. I’ve learned so much more from RU-vid than I ever learned in school.
Last year I just found out I have Chinese blood no wonder my father side look east asians. It is so cool to know a bit of my ancestry. I'm from the Philippines. These videos are so authentic and speaks from the hearts. Kudos!
In Taiwan there is also a large Hakka community (2,5mil) as most Hakka came from Fujian or general southern China 250-350 years ago, most Hakka in Taiwan are in Hsinchu or Miaoli county and you can still see some Hakka buildings, including the Hakka Roundhouse in Miaoli. As far as I know in the Hakka culture houses are always built like castles, not always round, but more and more families build their house next to each other with one entrance or they add some buildings, also something special is that most houses are also connected with doors. But compared to the video, in Taiwan almost no one lives in these houses anymore and some of them are turned into museums.
@@streetscienceofficial8675People from Taiwan, the Han Chinese population at least, know very well where they come from. That's why they write "Traditional Chinese" and not "Simplified Chinese". Nationality is not the same as culture. A South German and a person from the Tyrol (Austria) share the same culture, much more than a North German and a South German do. They are still German and Austrian.
@@mix3ry199 taiwan mostly consist of hokkiens merchant ppl they never have any sort of loyalty to any nations except for their clans thats why they accept be it chinese rule or japanese even today will use kuomintang or dpp whenever it fits!
Spectacular! Who knew any of this existed?! Some people still live in these homes & I'm glad the ones who moved out still come back to celebrate Spring Festival & plan renovations. These are family homes, after all, & there is still pride & respect. Thank you for taking us beyond the tourist sites!
This is so freaking cool. It's like the Chinese version of those documentaries you see out here in the states about Appalachia and backwoods Alabama or Louisiana swamp people. I love this so much. And all the residents who participated seem so gracious and friendly. God bless them all.
….Pretty sure she had to get permission from Nat’l CCP before going there (and local CCP would have first visited the communal houses she would be allowed to film at to speak to the residents to request friendly cooperation - the ppl in the vid were very friendly-but also had the formal stiffness you have when you think there will be a big audience)….Just a hunch.
@@Shineon83 you must be American because in any other country if you go to rural areas they will treat you this kindly. there’s no need for coercion, this is how a close community acts like naturally (hell, I’m from Spain and if you go to any small town they will even invite you for dinner without knowing you)
I watched a documentary on these round houses when I was a small child. I have always wanted to know more about them and asked around when I lived in China (Heilongzhang province) but nobody was able to tell me more. I'm so glad you are making recordings of these old places before everything is too westernised. Those cobbled mosaics and wooden architectural designs are so beautiful. The houses in the documentary I watched (circa early 1990's) had bigger animals in the centre: cows, goats and pigs. I find it so sad that only the elderly seem to live in these communes now.
It looks peaceful. I am sure that eventually some younger Chinese people will realize that they appreciate living alone, find peace in living naturally offgrid and may return to these places. Right now there is just so much intense pressure on young chinese people to be "married" and work a competitive job. I know poverty isn't glamorous and there is little incentive (and backlash) to "going back to the countryside," but to me this looks ideal. I would be okay with a slower pace of life, finding my own food, trading goods and getting along with elders. I wish governments would stop making younger people leave to find aggressive jobs that don't protect them in cities that are too expensive.
I just discovered your channel and it is a treasure trove of Chinese people and their culture. I found it beautiful and eye opening! Your videos are so well made and edited that I feel like I'm there on a journey with you and all of those wonderful people you've met. Thank you for your amazing work! Greetings from Croatia 😊
It’s like watching a documentary! The only difference is that this is done without an entourage and crew with high tech equipment ( apart from your drone shots ) and production company! Kudos to you Yan !
amazing, i am a singaporean hokkien that is deeply interested in learning more about where my ancestors came from. thank you for showing me a slice of cultural identity and history through this video! i have heard mentions of tulou through my chinese teacher from China, and have looked through wiki pages and also saw a glimpse of the likeness in the mulan movie. but this is real authentic look into local lives, people who have lives there their whole lives. thank you :)
Then it is not your ancestor, It is hakka like Lee Kuan Yew.. BTw You talking like a tourist.. This is actually my ancestor(hakka) I apparently still have claim over one of the room in the Tu lou.. Divided by maybe 100 people.. Well learn your own history, Dont be like pretend Chinese. Hokkien is more of farmer and trader, Your food is much better than hakka food because they have much more ingredient. The Tu lou is built for protection against outsider like hokkien people. Hakka has job like gov admin job and Miner, That is why even nowadays you see Hakka more inclined for Gov job and Hokkien for more business trade Like I said, Dont be like tourist. Be Hokkien
@@zeiaooo What gatekeep? IT WAS MY ANCESTOR type house, Not Hokkien. My grandfather from both side grew up in those house.. No hokkien lived in those kind of houses. I even have some claim on one room on the house divided by many cousins. I am willing to bet my hand that Hokkien dont live these kind of houses. Are you willing to bet?
A wonderfull village. The people living in this commune have real tiente on their faces, without cosmetic styling and without touch from plastic surgery scapels. This is to be maximally appreciated. We r the world, we r the people, ..so lets start this eutopie..🎉❤❤Please look intentively, they live clean, very clean and tidy together, they live without garbages just like modern metropole with skyscrapers...❤
I was just about to say the same, it's really sad how the younger generation abandoned the first one that was shown though. The home itself seemed sad to be empty.
This is absolutely enthralling! You are the perfect guide - well-spoken with clear speech, friendly & cheerful - a very welcoming approach. Your pacing is perfect as well; you don't proceed too quickly nor lag behind. The camera work is well done, as is your editing - with time for tasteful musical interludes. This is a lot of work, much of it unseen by us viewers. Your most important 'production method' is letting people speak for themselves - your approach is inviting for them and you show respect. You are a natural - thank you.
Our grandma is Hakka ngin (人). Her ancestral home is in 大埔., 广东 province. The Hakka spoken in this clip is slightly different from 大埔客(Dabu Kek). The dish you ate can also be found in Singapore & Malaysia. My grandma used to make it. I think it’s a hakka dish but my grandma also add black fungus to it.
I always loved this design! Keeps a whole town safe from animals/the elements/potential enemies, a wonderful combination of protection and communal life. They are also wind-proof, earthquake resistant, very well-ventilated, stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and have super thick walls, often with gun holes at the higher levels for fighting purposes. These things are so practical as far as fortified villages go. Many people are familiar with Roman fortified towns, but these are my personal favorite.
A fascinating glimpse into life and architecture in rural China. I've seen ancient Chinese furniture in the British Museum that look contemporary to 20th century Danish design. Although the buildings are over 400 years old, the style looks little more than late nineteenth century. After twenty minutes, the atmosphere had a very calming effect.
I can only imagine of what my Hmong (Miao) ancestors would have looked like in their true village life. I remembered well how I was filled with emotion when I visited a Hmong village in Yunnan Province in 1996 and found out that the village had been there for over 100 years. Thanks for sharing.
So refreshing to see natural life and kind people, all around... you make us like Chinese people, not complicated life and turmoil of big cities. Thank you and keep your lovely smile.
Another great video and really enjoyed seeing how open the residents are to showing strangers around their homes-can't wait to get back to China from UK, now air fares are below £1000. I was in a Tuluo place in April 2019-I managed to get up at 6.45, having banged my head on the pillow, 7 times, the night before. We had a breakfast of bacon and eggs, plus cereal, but no coffee provided. Then went out to wait for our tour bus to pick us up at 8.10. My wife, Ling got a call to say they would be 10 minutes late as other customers were late getting up. Again, I pointed out to Ling, ‘why travel to Xiamen, a city of about 7 million people, with loads of parks, rivers, shopping centres, museums etc, for 2 nights and spend a whole day, driving 100 miles to somewhere else? We got on at 8.20 with 3 girls. There were 18 of us in total, 5 guys, including me and 13 ladies. We had a 3 hour drive ahead of us, with 2 toilet breaks, which I had to go on, in case of wanting to go before the next stop. No sit downs, but I only wanted a pee, which is all I can manage when most of the ‘hole in the ground’ have liquids all over the floor, so I have to roll up my trousers and try to ignore the state of the soles of my shoes. The temperature today was 32 degrees, most of it spent outside, apart from 6 hours driving (there and back). Our 2nd stop was at a garage, with a girl selling bananas, from a stall under an umbrella, in banana territory, as we could see plantations everywhere, in a place called Nanjing-not the one in Jiangshi, as we were in Fujian, home of the Tulou people. Even though it was just a fruit stall, she still had a bar code square on her stall, accepting payments online with Wei Chat. She also had a light, made of an empty plastic water bottle, plus a few flies. We bought 2 yellow bananas and 2 red ones, for 9 yuan, doing a brisk trade from our group, as most didn’t have much time for breakfast. The driver set off again, after practising his English on me and seemed friendly, until the tour guide warned us about the danger of some biting insects in the mountains, but the driver could sell us some cream for 60 yuan, which we later found out you could buy for 25 in a shop. Not many windows in the round building. We didn’t see what kind of toilets/bedrooms/living rooms they had, but maybe a few public toilets-not sure if they even had showers. Anyway, the one we came to for lunch, had a couple of largish rooms, catering for about 10 people, with basic mud brick walls and timber ceilings, with the doors open to let in the light. The food was OK, boiled mouli, cabbage, chicken and fried sardines, rice etc and was reasonable. Then we drove on into the mountains, to a square shape tulou building, which was about 350 years old, built on a swamp, which they demonstrated, by getting everyone to jump up and down in the courtyard and you could see the ground moving. We bought a couple of cheap but not bad souvenirs-key rings and small model of a round building. We walked through a pleasant park, with yellow and red flowering avenue of trees. Then we drove on to a larger area, having to pass through turnstyles and walking along an attractive river side, with weirs and amazing trees, centuries old, with long trailing creepers and twisted and gnarled trunks, but luxuriant canopy of leaves. The paths were made of large stones, which were difficult to negotiate under foot and lined with small shops selling souvenirs and various foods. There were hotels etc and I daresay you could find a nice place to stay, overlooking the river and feeling at peace, with the rippling of the water and twitter of birdsong, apart from the 50 or so tour guides, creaming into microphones. We stopped for a tea demonstration, almost missing it as we went down the wrong street, until someone came chasing after us. We were given some free samples of different teas, by an attractive girl, wearing a Mickey Mouse T shirt, but when it came to paying 220 yuan for half a kilo, we all got up and hastily left. Stalls outside were selling the same tea at around 70 yuan. Our local lady tour guide got very upset with our lot who didn’t buy anything We carried on down the river and crossed over some stepping stones to another village, into another large museum in the Tulou style and went upstairs to enjoy the views, but didn’t go inside any rooms, as mostly had padlocks on the doors. There were some nice displays of pottery and oil lamps downstairs, which must have been a fire risk, for the whole structure was first made of wood, with dried mud and stone on the outside. Lastly, we went to another place by bus, to another Tulou building, where a local lady talked us into getting our photos taken and laminated it-costing 10 yuan. Then a local tour guide invited us into her home-well on the kitchen on the ground floor where she gave us some samples of dried fruits etc, which she later tried to sell us. We left after that, but maybe some people bought something. By then it was around 6.00 pm and I was pretty exhausted with heat and being out in the sun all day, apart from the coach. About 7.00, we stopped at a basic rest place and had a bowl of noodles each. Some people laughed when I tried to get the long slippery noodles into my bowl, but they weren’t much better at it. I think Ling and one other person managed to get a full bowl.
I really have never seen a video quite like this one. It feels so comfortable, like I'm just spending time chatting with extended family. There's something really special about you and the way you approach making videos. Totally subscribed. Can't wait to see more 😊
This was so interesting! I never would have thought that there are such old, nice houses like a small village in modern China. Also the people are very kind.
My grandfather came from China to Peru so i find this very exciting to watch. I never knew much about him or his family. I always imagine what it was like to live in China. I really like your content. Keep it up.
Loved watching this video, as a young citizen of China ensure these buildings are saved as part of the country’s heritage. It’s goods it’s still being lived in and you took us around and it was joyous to view❤
For those who are curious why people live together in such a crowded building: Tulou were built to defend against enemies. Another interesting thing is when the US first saw Tulou from the satellite, they thought they were Chinese missile silos.
I bet the little kids have such a great time living there. It takes a village to raise children. I can imagine the elders pitching in helping and passing on traditions to the young people.
I studied mandarin for almost 3 years but I abandon it, watching your video remembered me all the culture essence that I wanted to learn. I'm happy to meet your channel 💕.
In America, our brick-and-mortar malls have mostly closed shop due to the shift in online commerce. I've often wondered what these useless abandoned buildings can be used for, and the model of Tulou gives me some very interesting ideas. Around the world, we have the potential to convert many storied shopping centers into communal homes where folks can live life together.
Unless there was a blood relation between the inhabitants I think the residents would go crazy. Notice that these Tulou are inhabited by clans, not individual families.
It's sad. Happens everywhere. Pricing through the roof and people can't find anywhere to live because it's just too expensive these days. They build housing but it's really expensive and nobody builds cheaper more affordable housing nowadays because it's generates no money. I would love to see things like this built but would it ever be possible to even come close to such a close-knit community here in the west? I'm concerned about poverty and drugs.
In America we could go back to multi generational living (grandparents, auntie, grandkids, etc) but not living that close with non-blood. I live rural, 3000 ppl in my town are close knit, but we don't need to live in housing together. In order to have freedom mean ANYthing, we need private time away from the state and nosey neighbors. cramming into quarters like this admits defeat. A free market, someone that can lead the country with good economics..so people can afford buying a home again. I'm not being stuffed into a coop. Most rural people won't.
Wow! This is just such an amazing building and the communal aspect of living there sounds so enriching.. I guess all the younger people moved away for work.. I hope structures like this and the communal way of living it provides is brought back to life or at least retained! Really fascinating and beautiful
Yes, they should build toilets and shower facilities outside of one of these big commune houses so that people can have modern conveniences and just leave the main house to sleep. The walls are so thick and are great insulators.
