Chinese Hakka Houses Show a History of Self-Sustainable Community Living

The Hakka Houses, were created by the Hakka people in China, mainly during the 17th century. These houses are mostly circular, and sometimes square in shape and they functioned as self-sustaining micro-communities. Built as a way to defend their local resources, these houses in the modern Fujian province of China had food storage, space for livestock, living quarters, temples, armories; which almost makes each of these houses sound like the city of Zion in The Matrix.

Locally called Tulou each of the houses was like a miniature fortress. With just one entrance, no windows near the ground, internal water source, and a sewage system, these houses could very well hold out against a siege.

The Tulou were usually built out of stoned bricks or rammed earth, and could have walls up to six feet thick. Some of these houses could cover as much as 430,000 square feet, and house nearly 80 families. These houses were given a “World Heritage” status by the UNESCO in 2008.

Source: Inhabitat

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