Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Shuǐtóu Cūn)
The 700-year-old community of Shuitou Village boasts one of the best col-
lections of old houses, both Chinese- and Western-style, in all of Taiwan.
There are over 100 western buildings around Kinmen, all built by Kinmen emigrants
who made a bundle across Southeast Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The
Deyue Mansion
(
Déyuè Lóu
), probably the most famous, was built in 1931 by the
Huang clan (the earliest settlers in Shuitou) and features an unmistakable four-storey gun
tower that was for years Kinmen's tallest structure.
The Huang clan also built the rows of traditional Fujian houses near Deyue Mansion.
Follow the signs from Deyue Mansion to
Youtang Villa
(
Yǒu Táng
), a 200-year-old former
school that is a fine example of traditional design.
Jhushan Village
ANCIENT VILLAGE
(Zhūshān Cūn)
During the late 19th century emigrants from Jhushan Village made huge
profits from trading and shipping in the Philippines and sent much of it back to build the
gorgeous houses you see today. In the centre of the village is a large brick-lined pond; at
the back a hillock. In the world of feng shui it doesn't get much better than this potent
wealth-retaining arrangement.
Beishan & Nanshan
ANCIENT VILLAGE
The two villages of Beishan (Běishān) and Nanshan (Nánshān) around Shuangli Lake -
and Lake Ci is just a little further away - retain much of their old character, adding a
charming backdrop to the lakes.
The most visited of the old dwellings is the
Beishan Old Western-style House
(
Běishān
Gǔ Yánglóu
). It's still riddled with bullet holes from the Guningtou battle in 1949 (
Click
'Nature Centre' (the Shuangli Wetlands Area Centre). The house is about 100m further
up the road.
Shanhou Folk Culture Village
ANCIENT VILLAGE
(Shānhòu Mínsú Wénhuà Cūn)
Shanhou consists of 18 Fujian-style buildings, all intercon-
nected by narrow alleys. The village was built over a 25-year period in the late Qing dyn-
asty; money made in Japan funded the construction. Go in the morning if you want to
take pictures - the back of the village faces west and the late-afternoon sun makes it dif-
ficult to shoot.
Qionglin Village (Cyonglin or Chiunglin)
ANCIENT VILLAGE
