A tulou (simplified Chinese: 土楼; traditional Chinese: 土樓; pinyin: tǔlóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thó͘-lâu), or "earthen building", is a traditional communal Hakka people residence found in Fujian, in South China, usually of a circular configuration surrounding a central shrine, and part of Hakka architecture. These vernacular structures were occupied by clan groups. Due to their unorthodox and strange appearance from the outside they were once mistaken for missile silos by American analysts during the Cold War. Others even compare it to ancient 'spaceships'.