Xu Family's Bamboo Pavilion

Located north of Touwu Junior High School. It is said that in the past, the residence was surrounded by green bamboo, hence the name "Zhuzige" (Bamboo Pavilion). Another theory suggests that the Xu family was a scholarly household, producing numerous literati during the late Qing Dynasty and Japanese colonial period. The Xu family residence, situated on the south bank of Longjingtan (Dragon Neck Pond) of Houlung River, once built several bamboo pavilions to host poets and scholars from the mountain towns, thus earning its name. The Xu family of Zhuzige traces its ancestry to Jiaoling, Guangdong. Its fourteenth-generation ancestor, Xu Haomin, migrated to Taiwan during the Qianlong era, settling at the current site in Kantouwu, Miaoli. It was initially built during the Guangxu era and underwent minor renovations after the major earthquake in the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935). It remains very well preserved today. The front courtyard is divided into inner and outer sections. To the right of the outer courtyard stands a pair of stone flagpoles for a Gongsheng (tribute student). The roof ridges adopt the swallowtail style. The main hall's doors and windows feature exquisite carvings and delicate floral decorations. Inside the hall, the ancestors of the Xu clan's Donghaitang (East Sea Hall) are enshrined. Unusually, the rear of the main hall's shrine serves as the back door, a very rare layout. Not far from the Xu residence is Longjingtan (Dragon Neck Pond), a deep pond located at the confluence of the Laotianliao and Houlung Rivers. In the past, its wide surface was an ideal spot for villagers to race dragon boats and for literati to boat, admire the moon, and compose poems. Thus, "Boating on Longtan by Moonlight" was once one of the "Eight Old Scenic Wonders".