Erkan Village is a traditional settlement in Xiyu Township, Penghu County, inhabited entirely by the Chen clan; it was designated Taiwan's first protected traditional settlement area by the Ministry of the Interior in 2001, and its laogu stone houses remain well preserved, including the Chen family's historic residence, a county-designated historic site. The settlement has been organized as an open-air museum, and visitors can walk through the lanes to directly observe how Qing Dynasty Minnan courtyard house types were adapted to Penghu's environment.
According to local accounts, the Chen clan's ancestor Chen Yanyi crossed from Kinmen in the late Ming Dynasty and eventually settled here; the entire village today is made up of Chen family members, making it Penghu's only single-surname settlement. The village's landmark building, the Chen family's historic residence, was built in 1910 by brothers Chen Ling and Chen Bang, who had grown wealthy running a Chinese medicine business in Taiwan and returned to expand the family home into a three-bay compound, built with laogu stone and basalt walls decorated with painted tiles and jiaozhi ceramics; it is now a county-designated historic site. The village was designated Taiwan's first protected traditional settlement area by the Ministry of the Interior in 2001.
Highlights of Erkan Village
The buildings in Erkan are constructed with laogu stone (coral reef limestone) walls and tiled roofs. The courtyard layout retains the traditional Minnan spatial types of side wings (hulong) and the main hall (zhengting). The settlement is well preserved overall; the lane width and building heights maintain their traditional proportions. Walking through it, you can sense the spatial atmosphere of a Qing Dynasty Penghu fishing village. The Chen family's historic residence is the most intact in the settlement, with a high level of architectural detail and decorative craftsmanship.
Erkan has an open-air village museum with thematic displays in some buildings introducing traditional household objects and the Chen clan's history. People still live in the settlement — it is not a purely exhibition space. Please respect residents' privacy, and do not enter private residences that are not open to the public. Photographing building exteriors is fine; only enter marked open areas when going inside.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Visit
Practical Information
Getting There & Time
- Located in Erkan Village, Xiyu Township. From Magong City, cross the Penghu Great Bridge and head south — about 40–50 minutes by scooter. Parking is available at the village entrance.
- The settlement is open all day; museum gallery rooms have their own hours. Plan to arrive by 4 pm at the latest.
- Allow 1–1.5 hours, including walking the lanes and visiting the exhibitions.
Nearby Connections
- Daguoye Basalt Columns (Chidong Village) is about 10–15 minutes by scooter — combine both as a Xiyu afternoon pairing of cultural heritage and natural landscape.
- Xiyu West Fort and Yuwengdao Lighthouse are farther south from Erkan; include them for a full-day Xiyu itinerary.
Sources: Cultural Heritage Bureau, Ministry of Culture (county-designated historic site records); spot context notes. Photos pending Dio's on-site photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is everyone in Erkan Village surnamed Chen?
According to local tradition, ancestor Chen Yanyi came from Kinmen in the late Ming Dynasty and settled here, and his descendants formed Penghu's only single-surname village.
When was the Chen family's historic residence built?
It was built in 1910 by brothers Chen Ling and Chen Bang, who returned from a successful medicine business in Taiwan to expand the family home.
What special status does Erkan Village hold?
It was designated Taiwan's first protected traditional settlement area in 2001, and the Chen family residence is a county-designated historic site.
Sources
- 澎湖二崁聚落 珍藏歲月的痕跡 - 莫比烏斯 Endless Loop — 陳氏宗族起源與陳家古厝沿革
- 二崁陳宅 - 澎湖知識平台 — 陳家古厝建築年代與工藝