Chaoshan, Guangdong Province

Daoyun Tulou

道韵楼History & Culture · Architecture · Photography

One of the largest Hakka tulou (earthen round houses) discovered in China so far, its defining feature is a layout based on the Bagua (eight trigrams) diagram.…

Daoyun Tulou

Daoyun Tulou, Chaoshan · Franco508 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Key facts

Opening hours
8:00—18:00
Time needed
1 hour
Getting there
Take a bus from Chaozhou to Maozhi and get off midway at Sanrao Town. The journey takes about 1 hour 40 minutes and costs ¥40. From Sanrao to the tulou, motorbike taxis are available.
Guidebook rating
4 / 5

From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 2384. Open in Google Maps

About Daoyun Tulou

One of the largest Hakka tulou (earthen round houses) discovered in China so far, its defining feature is a layout based on the Bagua (eight trigrams) diagram. Daoyun Tulou is still home to local residents, adding lively local character to the ancient earthen walls. Its unique architecture attracts many ancient-architecture experts and visitors from China and abroad to study and sightsee. It is also a paradise for photography enthusiasts.

Frequently asked questions

What are the opening hours of Daoyun Tulou?

Daoyun Tulou is open 8:00—18:00.

How do I get to Daoyun Tulou?

Take a bus from Chaozhou to Maozhi and get off midway at Sanrao Town. The journey takes about 1 hour 40 minutes and costs ¥40. From Sanrao to the tulou, motorbike taxis are available.

How long should I spend at Daoyun Tulou?

Plan on 1 hour for Daoyun Tulou.

Where is Daoyun Tulou?

Daoyun Tulou is in Chaoshan, Guangdong Province, in the South China of China.

More places in Chaoshan

Paifang Street

Many arcade-style (qilou) buildings line the street, and 22 memorial archways (paifang) stand along it, giving it a lingering sense of antiquity. Beyond the historic sights, the street’s local food is also very tempting.

1–2 hours

Guangji Bridge

Guangji Bridge

Commonly known as Xiangzi Bridge, it is one of China’s four great ancient bridges, alongside Zhaozhou Bridge, Luoyang Bridge and Lugou Bridge, famed for its unique “eighteen shuttle boats and twenty-four piers” design. First built in 1171 and repaired by successive dynasties, it took on its “eighteen shuttle boats and twenty-four piers” form by 1513. The bridge is linked by 24 piers in its eastern and western sections and 18 shuttle boats in the middle. Its floating section can be opened and closed, and its structure is unusual, combining beam, arch and pontoon bridge types in one, a unique case in the history of Chinese bridge building.

¥20 · 1–2 hours

Longhu Ancient Village

The village still preserves hundreds of ancestral halls and mansions from successive dynasties, along with inscriptions, calligraphy and stone tablets left by notable scholars. Its depth of history, scale and distinctive layout are rare in Chaoshan and across eastern Guangdong.

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Han Wengong Shrine

Han Wengong Shrine

Han Yu served as prefect of Chaozhou, where he suppressed evil practices, supported farming and sericulture, freed enslaved people and promoted education, making outstanding contributions to the region’s development. To commemorate him, the Han Wengong Shrine was built. The most worthwhile feature of the shrine is its historical stele inscriptions: 40 stone steles from different dynasties are preserved here. The most notable include the Ming-dynasty “Record of the Expanded Han Shrine” and “Merit Not Inferior to Yu”, the Qing-dynasty seal-script carving “Transmitting the Dao and Initiating Literature”, and the re-carved “Stele of the Han Wengong Temple of Changli Count in Chaozhou”. There are also plaques written by many modern celebrities.

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Kaiyuan Temple

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Nan'ao Island

Nan'ao Island

Lying on the sea where Guangdong and Fujian meet, Nan’ao is made up of 23 islands, large and small, known as “the guardian of Chaoshan and the throat of Fujian and Guangdong”. Besides historic sites such as Changshanwei Battery, Zongbingfu and Xiongzhen Pass, the island also has Huanghua Mountain National Forest Park and the Qing’ao Bay tourist area.

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