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Since Chinese author Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2012, he enjoys great popularity both in China and abroad. Mo Yan has sold the TV and film right of his novella "The Treasure Map" to Chinese producer Yu Ren for the equivalent of $16.3 million.

Last week, producer Yu Ren and two Hollywood 3D artists appeared in Yongding city, Fujian Province secretly. They visited the Fujian Tulou there. Tulou is a type of Chinese rural dwellings in the mountainous areas in southeastern Fujian, China. They were mostly built between the 12^th and 20^th centuries. A tulou is usually a large, enclosed and fortified earth building, most commonly rectangular or circular in configuration, with very thick load-bearing rammed earth walls between three and five stories high and housing up to 80 families. So far, the producers have begun to discuss matters about detail cooperation with local Tourist Bureau.

According to Mo Yan's famous novella adaptation the same name, the story will be made into a 3D blockbuster movie with Hollywood 3D imaging and visual effects. At present, some U.S. artists have already arrived in China to take part in the pre-production of the film.

Producer Yu Ren said: "Our American director was shocked when he saw the Tulou for the first time. In fact, he is quite interested in the archaic architecture. The interior structures of Tulou are odd and marvelous, which is perfect for the theme of treasure hunting in our movie." The interior buildings of Tulou are often enclosed by these huge peripheral walls, which can contain halls, storehouses, wells and living areas, the whole structure resembling a small-fortified city. The fortified outer structures are formed by compacting earth, mixed with stone, bamboo, wood and other readily available materials, to form walls up to 6 feet thick. All these features make it a wonderful place for the movie.