The Hakka (kejia in Mandarin; literally 'guest people') are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language. Their distinctive earthen houses or tulou can be found in the borderland counties where Guangdong, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces meet. Communal entities, tulou are fortified against marauding bandits and generally made of compacted earth, bamboo, wood and stone. They contain many rooms on several storeys, so that several families can live together. The small, self-contained design is a common characteristic of Hakka dwellings (eg the Hakka walled villages at Kam Tin in Hong Kongs New Territories). Tulou come in a variety of styles, and can be circular, triangular, rectangular, octagonal or other shapes. The extraordinary round earth houses range in size from the small scale (around 12 rooms) to the large (up to 72 rooms). Most are three storeys high, but the largest have up to five storeys. Some tulou stand independently, while others cluster into groups. The tulou located in Hukeng inc