This is the Hakka country of southwestern Fujian, the hills of Nanjing and Pinghe counties, where villagers built vast earthen fortress-homes called tulou. The ones near Hukeng and Tianloukeng are among the finest, and they are set in valleys of terraced tea, bamboo groves and rice paddies in a green so deep it looks artificial after rain. Each tulou is a ring, square or sometimes oval of rammed earth walls up to a metre or more thick, three or four storeys tall, with one big gate and a single courtyard in the middle where families kept a well, a shrine and animals.
The point of the design was defence and community. Hakka families, migrants from the north, were often outsiders in an area where clan feuds and bandits were real concerns, and a tulou could hold a hundred or several hundred relatives behind a locked door. Rooms were divided identically, kitchens on the ground floor, storage above, bedrooms higher, so it was egalitarian in a way that still surprises visitors. Many are still inhabited, with washing lines hung from the galleries, and some of the families now sell tea and small snacks to visitors.
The riding in this part of Fujian is hill-road riding. The tarmac is generally good but narrow, with tight bends climbing from valley to valley, forest on both sides, and a damp, cool microclimate. Fog and drizzle are common, especially in spring, so pay attention to wet leaves and sudden patches of mud. Local traffic includes motor scooters, small trucks and tour minibuses, and visitor numbers rise during Chinese holidays, so pick a weekday if you can, in autumn or early spring.
In China, fuel stations are common on main roads but thin in the hills, and foreign riders face significant licence and registration issues, so check the rules ahead of time. Local restaurants serve Hakka dishes, such as braised pork with preserved vegetables and stuffed tofu, plus strong tea, and the best way to enjoy a tulou is to buy a cup and sit in the courtyard for a while.