UFOs on Earth
Article & photo by Peng Jingting

The circular buildings are the unique architecture of Hakka-people（客家人） who migrated from the middle and northern part of China in the ancient times. They are regarded as architectural wonders. Among them, the Tianluokeng circular building group (田螺坑土楼群) is famous because of its magnificent view. It is situated in Shuyang Town (书洋乡) of Nanjing County(南靖县), composed of four circular buildings and one square building. Seen from above, the huge circles look like some UFOs which had stopped in the valley.
The walls of circular buildings are made of earth mixed with cooked rice, in order to make it solid. Indeed, they are still very solid, although they look old after so many years. They were used for residence and as a fortress in past years. Most of them are three-story structures. On the first floor are kitchens; on the second floor are storerooms; the third floor are bedrooms. Stepping into one of these buildings, I felt like time stopped, for the building itself and the life style there remained unchanged, although there are mainly the elderly and kids living in these buildings nowadays.
Aside this building group, Yuchang Building(裕昌楼) is another place worth visiting in the vicinity. It is a five-story structure built during the Yuan Dynasty, about six hundred years ago. As the oldest and biggest circular building in this area, it is also famous for its askew（倾斜的） wooden posts and structure.
Guide出行指南
Tianluokeng circular building group is located in Shuyang Town of Nanjing County, Zhangzhou City, about 150 kilometers from Xiamen. It will take three and a half hours by car. Travelers can also take a bus from Xiamen to Nanjing County (once every two hours, RMB 20)and transfer to Shuyang Town.