Plan at a glance
Single-building position and ticket
Chengqi Building is in Gaobei Village, Gaotou Township, Yongding District, Longyan, Fujian. It is a key building within the Gaobei Tulou Cluster and the Tulou King Scenic Area, not a separate city attraction operating beside them. Visitors usually enter from the Gaobei Visitor Service Centre and complete a second ticket check at Chengqi Building.
The common Gaobei single ticket is CNY 50. If you combine it with the Tulou Prince Scenic Area around Hongkeng, a common CNY 98 ticket is valid for 3 days. This page focuses on the building itself and its access limits; plan the wider cluster's tickets, parking, and cross-area transfers separately.
Allow about 1–1.5 hours for Chengqi Building, the viewpoints, and its immediate surroundings. If you add Shize and Qiaofu Buildings, allow 2–3 hours. The building suits architecture and photography enthusiasts, but an upstairs corridor view should not be treated as guaranteed.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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Four concentric rings
Chengqi Building's main feature is its four-ring, four-storey concentric layout and large residential scale. From outside or the publicly accessible corridors available that day, observe the circular courtyard, stairs, and relationship between the inner and outer rings. Inscriptions and traces of daily life are visible details; you do not need to enter private areas to understand the layout.
Shize Building next door provides a useful comparison between square and round tulou, especially from the narrow space between the two buildings. Qiaofu Building is nearby and offers different details and usually a different crowd level. It is an additional stop, not part of Chengqi Building's internal structure.
Who this suits
Chengqi suits visitors who want to see a large round-tulou interior, photograph a circular courtyard, or compare square and round plans. It also works for families making a short stop in the Gaobei area. Chengqi is usually the busiest point, so visit earlier in the morning if you want to avoid the midday and tour-group peak.
If someone in your group cannot climb, the exterior, viewpoint, and allowed lower-level areas can still complete the main visit. Do not follow an unconfirmed private guide for a high-level view or use a drone as a substitute.
Build your day
About 1–1.5 hours: a Chengqi-focused route
Enter from the Gaobei Visitor Service Centre, go first to the village-entrance viewpoint, and then follow the ticket-check process into Chengqi Building. Finish with the exterior and the square-and-round view from the gap by Shize Building before returning. Confirm the second check and the single-entry rules before entering; do not assume that leaving allows another entry.
The short route is about building scale and spatial relationships. It does not need an upstairs corridor or paid resident explanation as a required activity. If upper floors are closed, complete the visit from the exterior, courtyard, and permitted areas, then leave on the original route.
About 2–3 hours: a Gaobei architecture route
With more time, use the sequence “viewpoint—Qiaofu Building—Chengqi Building—Shize Building—small rear-hill viewpoint.” Look at Qiaofu's Chinese-Western decorative details first, reserve Chengqi for the main architectural observation, and use Shize to compare the square plan.
Access to residents' areas and open floors differs by building. Do not infer that another floor is open because one area can be entered. Before finishing, confirm the parking location and exit direction so that you do not stay on the rear hill too long and miss your return vehicle.
Get there
Driving
Drivers can navigate to “Chengqi Building East Gate Parking Lot” or the Gaobei Tulou Cluster parking area. After parking, follow the visitor service centre and ticket-check signs. Parking commonly costs about CNY 10–20 per visit, and holiday arrangements may change the available spaces and entrance.
Public transport
From Longyan Station, go to the old Longyan Coach Station and take the “Longyan–Gaotou” bus. The journey commonly takes about 1.5–2 hours, followed by a walk to the site. Tickets and schedules can be arranged through local transport channels such as “Longzhou e-xing,” but confirm the return before setting out.
From Xiamen, you can travel to Yongding and transfer. If you also want to visit the Tulou Prince Scenic Area or Chuxi Tulou Cluster, a chartered car or self-driving is easier for controlling the transfer time.
Know before you go
Second ticket check and upstairs limits
Chengqi Building has a second ticket check, and the ticket may permit only one entry. Complete the main visit before leaving; do not assume you can return later just to take more photographs.
Upper floors are usually strictly controlled during the day. A resident who temporarily allows access or asks for around CNY 10 does not establish a fixed opening policy. Buying a ticket does not grant access to private rooms, residents' corridors, or every floor, and restrictions may be tighter during holidays.
Solicitation, equipment, and safety
People near the entrance may invite visitors to use a “private guide,” enter upstairs for free, or take a shortcut. Refuse directly. You do not need to buy tea, cigarettes, or building products without first understanding the price.
The building and mountain paths have stairs, so wear flat sports shoes. Do not fly a drone or use tripods, long poles, or other equipment that blocks a corridor. In hot weather, after rain, or with anyone who has limited mobility, choose the exterior and short route first.