The cluster of Western-style houses built by the Xu family of Xipuhtou during the Japanese colonial period blends Southeast Asian colonial architectural styles with traditional Minnan craftsmanship. Arcaded colonnades, lime-plaster reliefs, and colorful ceramic tiles stand side by side, making this a landmark example of Jinsha Township's overseas Chinese architecture. These mansions bear witness to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century wave of Kinmen people who crossed the sea to Southeast Asia to earn a living, accumulated wealth, and then returned home to build.
Highlights of the Xu Family Mansion
The peak period for building overseas Chinese mansions in Kinmen was from the late Qing dynasty to the early Republican era. Many Kinmen emigrants who had made their fortunes in Southeast Asia returned home and brought with them the architectural vocabulary and decorative elements of colonial Southeast Asia — especially British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies — including arcade colonnades and ornamental motifs. Combined with local Minnan building techniques, this produced the distinctive Kinmen style known as fanzilou ("foreigner's building"). The Xu family mansions at Xipuhtou are a typical example of this building type.
The exterior of the mansion features continuous arcade columns as its main facade element, with lime-plaster relief decoration applied between the column caps and arches. Motifs include flowers, geometric patterns, and auspicious symbols, all executed with fine craftsmanship. The brickwork uses traditional red brick in some areas and washed-aggregate or colorful ceramic tile finishes in others, presenting a fusion of Eastern and Western architectural vocabularies that reflects the cultural identity of the returning emigrants.
How to make the most of your visit
Practical information
Getting there and timing
- Xipuhtou is near the northern coast of Jinsha Township. A self-rental vehicle is recommended; it is not far from Jinsha Township town center and accessible by following the signs.
- The mansions are privately or family-managed. The exteriors can be viewed and photographed freely; some interiors are not open to the public — please respect private boundaries.
Nearby connections
- Can be combined with Rongyuan Banyan Grove and Bishan Village into an architectural culture route through Jinsha Township; all three sites are within 15 minutes of each other by car, suitable for a half-day schedule.
- The coastline of Jinsha Township extends eastward to the Chen Jinglan Mansion, another major piece of Kinmen's overseas Chinese architectural heritage — the two can be planned as a mansion-themed route.
Sources: Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau historic building survey data, Kinmen National Park Headquarters interpretive materials. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own shots.