January 25, 2026. Hakka walled villages in southern Jiangxi Province, China. These are characteristic Hakka residential buildings that integrate living, worship, and defense functions.
January 25, 2026
Gannan Hakka Walled Villages: Characteristic Hakka residential architecture in southern Jiangxi Province, China, integrating living, worship, and defense functions, these villages are hailed as "Oriental Ancient Roman Castles" and "Living Fossils of Han and Jin Dynasty Fortified Villages." They are mainly concentrated in southern Jiangxi, including Longnan, Dingnan, Quannan, Anyuan, and Xunwu counties and cities, with over 600 existing. Longnan City has the highest concentration, with 376 villages (accounting for over 70% of southern Jiangxi), and was awarded the title of "Hometown of Chinese Walled Villages" in 2007. Originally built during the Tang and Song Dynasties and flourishing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, they originated from the southward migration of Han Chinese from the Central Plains, built to defend against war and bandits, and are an important carrier of Hakka culture.
Guanxi Walled Village Cluster: An outstanding representative of Gannan Hakka walled villages, a national-level cultural relic protection unit, renowned for its "nine wells and eighteen halls" layout. It is hailed as "Oriental Ancient Roman Castles" and "Forbidden City Scattered Among the People." This group of walled villages was built by the Xu family over several generations during the Ming and Qing dynasties. More than 40 walled villages remain, showcasing a rich variety of styles and fully demonstrating the evolution of traditional Hakka villages in southern Jiangxi from villages and walled villages to walled villages. Its core attraction is Guanxi Xinwei, a national key cultural relics protection unit and a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.
Guanxi Xinwei is the most dazzling jewel in the Guanxi walled village complex. Construction began in 1798 (the third year of the Jiaqing reign) by Xu Mingjun (known as "Xu Laosi"), a prominent local figure in the mid-Qing dynasty, and was completed in 1827 (the seventh year of the Daoguang reign), taking nearly 30 years.
The walled village is square, covering an area of 7,426 square meters, with a building area of 11,477 square meters. Its overall structure is a large "回" (hui) shape, with a typical layout of 9 buildings and 18 halls, totaling 124 rooms. It is fully functional, integrating family, ancestral hall, and fortress into one. The walls, constructed of rammed earth, are exceptionally sturdy, with towering watchtowers at each of the four corners. The walls are riddled with gun emplacements and volley fire holes, forming a robust defensive system. To prevent banditry, anti-corrosion piles were embedded in the foundation, and the roof was secured with highly toxic triangular iron nails. Fire-fighting water inlets and barbed wire mesh in the courtyard were also included.
The enclosed house is exquisitely decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, showcasing superb architectural artistry. Its interior spaces are clearly stratified, featuring a school and a library, reflecting the Hakka people's tradition of valuing education. The enclosed house also retains "Xiaohuazhou," built in the Suzhou style, which served as the residence of the owner's concubines, showcasing diverse cultural elements.
Xichangwei: The ancestral enclosed house of the Xu family, opposite Guanxi Xinwei, commonly known as "Old Enclosed House."
Tianxinwei: Built by Xu Mingjun's uncles.
Penggaowei: Built by Xu Mingjun's collateral relatives. Fuhewei: Built by Xu Shaoxi, the 16th generation of the Xu family.
Yanyiwei: The tallest walled village (14.3 meters), with the strongest defensive capabilities.
Others: Wushiwei, Liyuanwei… listed as a national intangible cultural heritage (Gannan Hakka walled village construction techniques), some buildings (such as Guanxi Xinwei) are on the tentative list of World Cultural Heritage sites.
January 25, 2026
Gannan Hakka Walled Villages: Characteristic Hakka residential architecture in southern Jiangxi Province, China. Integrating residential, sacrificial, and defensive functions, they are hailed as "Oriental Ancient Roman Castles" and "Living Fossils of Han and Jin Dynasty Fortified Villages." They are mainly concentrated in southern Jiangxi, including Longnan, Dingnan, Quannan, Anyuan, and Xunwu counties and cities, with over 600 existing. Longnan City has the highest concentration, with 376 (accounting for over 70% of southern Jiangxi), and was awarded the title of "Hometown of Chinese Walled Villages" in 2007. Originally built during the Tang and Song dynasties and flourishing during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Guanxi Hakka walled villages originated from the southward migration of Han Chinese from the Central Plains, constructed to defend against war and bandits. They are an important carrier of Hakka culture.
The Guanxi Walled Villages are outstanding representatives of Hakka walled villages in southern Jiangxi, a national-level cultural relic protection unit, renowned for their "nine wells and eighteen halls" layout. They are hailed as "the ancient Roman castle of the East" and "the Forbidden City scattered among the people."
Built by the Xu family over several generations during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the complex currently contains over 40 walled villages of various types, comprehensively showcasing the evolution of traditional Hakka villages in southern Jiangxi from villages and walled villages to walled villages. Its core attraction is the Guanxi New Walled Village, a national key cultural relic protection unit and a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. Guanxi Xinwei is the most dazzling jewel among the Guanxi walled villages. Construction began in 1798 (the third year of the Jiaqing reign) by Xu Mingjun (known as "Old Fourth Xu"), a prominent local figure in the mid-Qing Dynasty, and was completed in 1827 (the seventh year of the Daoguang reign), taking nearly 30 years.
The walled village is square, covering an area of 7,426 square meters, with a building area of 11,477 square meters. Its overall structure is a massive "回" (hui) shape, featuring a typical layout of 9 buildings and 18 halls, totaling 124 rooms. It is fully functional, integrating family, ancestral hall, and fortress functions.
The walls are constructed of rammed earth, making them exceptionally sturdy. Towering watchtowers are located at the four corners, and the walls are riddled with gun emplacements and loopholes, forming a robust defensive system. To prevent banditry, anti-corrosion piles were buried in the foundation, and the roofs were secured with highly toxic triangular iron nails. Fire-fighting water inlets and barbed wire fences were also included. The enclosed houses are exquisitely decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, showcasing superb architectural art. Their interior spaces are clearly stratified, featuring a school and a library, reflecting the Hakka people's tradition of valuing education. The enclosed houses also retain "Xiaohuazhou," built in the Suzhou style, which was the residence of the master's concubines, showcasing diverse cultural elements. Xichangwei: The ancestral enclosed house of the Xu family, opposite Guanxi Xinwei, commonly known as "Laowei" (Old Enclosed House). Tianxinwei: Built by Xu Mingjun's uncles. Penggaowei: Built by Xu Mingjun's collateral relatives. Fuhewei: Built by Xu Shaoxi, the sixteenth generation of the Xu family. Yanyiwei: The tallest enclosed house (14.3 meters), with the strongest defensive capabilities. Others: Wushiwei, Liyuanwei… listed as a national intangible cultural heritage (Gannan Hakka Enclosed House Construction Techniques), some buildings (such as Guanxi Xinwei) are on the tentative list of World Cultural Heritage sites.