Amidst the flying eaves and upturned corners of traditional red-brick houses in southern Fujian, traditional architect Yao Tulong has dedicated fifty years to crafting a vibrant architectural legacy. As one of the first provincial-level inheritors of traditional architectural restoration techniques in Fujian Province, a renowned traditional architect in Quanzhou City, and a craftsman from Anxi, Yao Tulong, with the heart of a true craftsman, has upheld the spirit of tradition, dedicating decades to the protection, restoration, and construction of traditional buildings.
Inheriting the “Eight Major Crafts” of Construction Techniques
Yao Tulong was born into a family of traditional architects in Penglai Town, Anxi County. From a young age, he was immersed in the craft, developing a keen interest and sense of mission in learning and inheriting the traditional building skills of his ancestors. He studied under his grandfather, Yao Jichun, the first-generation traditional architect in his family, and his father, Yao Daishan, the second-generation traditional architect, learning traditional building techniques… Through visiting renowned masters and humbly seeking knowledge, he mastered the various skills of the “Eight Major Crafts” of traditional building construction, becoming a leading figure in the field of traditional architecture.
The “Eight Major Crafts” of Southern Fujian folk architecture include carpentry, tile work, stonework, earthwork, painting, decorative painting, scaffolding, and plastering. These eight crafts are not only an important part of ancient architectural construction techniques but also a living heritage of Chinese civilization. Yao Tulong strives to improve his comprehensive cultural literacy, studies the traditional architectural cultural system, upholds the craftsman spirit of protection, inheritance, and innovative development, and is rooted in practice, revitalizing and passing on the traditions. He actively mentors apprentices and has accumulated rich theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
Showcasing the Traditional Architectural Style of Southern Fujian
When discussing his mastered traditional building skills, Yao Tulong speaks with great familiarity – among the “Eight Major Crafts,” he is most proficient in large-scale and small-scale carpentry and tile work construction techniques.
Yao Tulong has a deep affection for the distinctive regional architectural style of Southern Fujian. According to him, Southern Fujian folk houses are generally based on three-bay or five-bay stone and wood structures, with materials mainly including red bricks, white stone, gray tiles or purple clay tiles, and decorated with white lime and bluestone. The buildings utilize techniques involving bricks, tiles, and stone, as well as components such as brackets and hanging baskets (hanging beams), which are exquisite and refined. Most residential roofs use hard gable or hip-and-gable styles, while temples often use curved lines and “swallowtail ridges” to form a curved shape, with the ends of the main ridge decorated with pointed ridges, resembling a swallow’s tail.
When these traditional buildings with distinct Southern Fujian regional characteristics stand tall in the overseas projects undertaken by Yao Tulong, many overseas Chinese are deeply moved: “Seeing the Southern Fujian-style buildings and these lifelike wood carvings evokes memories of our hometown, and a sense of nostalgia overwhelms us.”
Among the many unique architectural techniques in China, Yao Tulong believes that the mortise and tenon joint structure is one of the most representative and intelligent constructions, and is the soul of traditional Chinese carpentry. The wooden components of Southern Fujian folk houses all use mortise and tenon joints, without the use of nails, glue, or other auxiliary materials. The secure connection and overall fixation of the wood are achieved solely through the interlocking of the concave and convex parts of the components. In projects undertaken by Yao Tulong’s team, such as the Qing Shui Yan Hai Hui Temple in Anxi, Fujian, the mortise and tenon joint structure plays a crucial role: Firstly, it provides structural stability. The interlocking design distributes external forces to various components, making the overall framework more stable, especially adapting to the thermal expansion and contraction of wood, resulting in excellent seismic resistance. Secondly, it enhances overall aesthetics. The connections are seamlessly fitted, with no visible joints, achieving a “flawless” visual effect, combining practicality and artistry. Thirdly, it allows for flexible assembly and disassembly. Components are connected through physical interlocking, allowing for easy disassembly and reassembly, facilitating transportation, maintenance, and preservation.
Expanding into the Overseas Ancient Architecture Market
In ancient times, Quanzhou was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road; today, traditional Minnan (Southern Fujian) architectural craftsmen have inherited the open and inclusive tradition of Minnan regional culture, embracing the world. Through the introduction of fellow countrymen and overseas Chinese, Yao Tulong went to Malaysia in 1998 to participate in the restoration and construction of local temples, thus beginning his overseas entrepreneurial journey. Southeast Asia has always highly valued Minnan architectural craftsmanship. In Malaysia, Yao Tulong established his first independent ancient architecture engineering company, undertaking nearly 80 traditional architectural projects in countries such as Switzerland and in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
The traditional architectural project of the “Jilin Palace” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, overseen by Yao Tulong, has been highly praised by the local Chinese community. The project was completed in just one year, and included over 2,000 intricately carved wooden components with distinct Southern Fujian characteristics. These components, utilizing various carving techniques such as openwork, relief carving, and three-dimensional carving, were processed and manufactured in Anxi before being shipped across the ocean to Kuala Lumpur for on-site installation. The then Deputy Minister of Finance of Malaysia, after visiting the site, was deeply impressed by the exquisite wood carvings and suggested to the local government that import duties on Chinese handicrafts be waived. This move resulted in an annual reduction of nearly ten million US dollars in tariffs for Chinese handicraft exports to Malaysia.
Emphasis on the Inheritance of Craftsmanship
The protection, restoration, and construction of traditional buildings have always been guided by traditional craftsmanship, especially in crucial aspects such as mortise and tenon structures and detailed woodworking. These rely primarily on the accumulated skills and experience of the craftsmen. Therefore, the experienced master craftsmen in the team are the most valuable “living assets.”
As a seasoned woodcarver, Yao Tulong, with over 30 years of experience, has trained more than 20 apprentices. After several years of systematic training, these apprentices have become increasingly skilled, not only able to independently complete complex wood carvings but also possessing unique insights into the innovation of traditional patterns, gradually becoming experts in the field of wood carving. Currently, most of the more than one hundred employees of Yao Tulong’s company have over ten years of experience. Under their careful guidance and mentorship, generations of young people have taken up chisels and carving knives, continuing this ancient craft that carries the cultural genes of Southern Fujian. Yao Tulong’s sons, Yao Zhidong and Yao Dongle, as fourth-generation inheritors, have also learned traditional building restoration techniques from their father and predecessors. Through continuous skill protection and inheritance, a legacy of “brotherly cooperation,” “husband-and-wife partnerships,” and “father-son collaboration” has gradually formed, ensuring that Southern Fujian’s traditional craftsmanship is passed down from generation to generation.
In 2025, Quanzhou Longhe Ancient Architectural Engineering Co., Ltd., founded by Yao Tulong, was successfully selected as one of the first batch of “Quanzhou Southern Fujian Traditional Architectural Craftsmanship Inheritance Centers” announced by the Quanzhou Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, officially recognizing its work in traditional craftsmanship inheritance. Yao Tulong has consistently upheld the philosophy of “giving back to society what is taken from society,” actively fulfilling his corporate social responsibility. In terms of cultural promotion, he proactively undertakes the task of receiving visiting students from schools and kindergartens, using innovative methods such as “mortise and tenon joint craftsmanship experience classes” to allow children to experience the charm of traditional skills through hands-on practice. In terms of skill inheritance, he insists on “hand-in-hand” apprenticeship training, establishing a “master-apprentice” inheritance system. In public welfare, he continuously supports the educational development of his hometown, investing over one million yuan in public welfare funds through initiatives such as establishing “craftsmanship scholarships” and sponsoring impoverished students, thus fulfilling his commitment to “skill inheritance and responsibility” through practical actions.
“The road to skill inheritance is still long and arduous,” Yao Tulong said when discussing the future. He stated that he will deepen the school-enterprise cooperation model, jointly establishing a “Southern Fujian Wood Carving Class” with local vocational colleges. Through a free “theory + practice” training system, he will provide students with comprehensive support from skill learning to employment guarantees. At the same time, the company will build an integrated service system for the design, research and development, production, and construction of ancient building projects, using the “mortise and tenon” structure to achieve deep integration of industrial development and industry trends, promoting the revitalization of this traditional craft that embodies the spirit of Chinese craftsmanship.
