Gong Family Ancient Residence

Follow Qilao Road in front of the Chen Family Ancient Residence, turn right at the first fork, and you will soon discover another ancient building – the Gong Family Ancient Residence. This old house is better preserved and boasts a more rustic and elegant architectural setting. About a hundred years ago, the four ancestral brothers of the Gong family relocated from Tukou Village, Ligang Township, Pingtung County, to settle in Qilao Village. The ancient residence is a Sanheyuan-style building, covering an area of three 'jia' and three 'fen', with a total of thirty interconnected rooms. In the center of the front courtyard is an altar dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva, while the center of the back courtyard houses the Gong family ancestral hall, where ancestral tablets are enshrined. The beams and pillars of the Gong family residence are all made from 'Fujian Fir' from Fujian, remaining sturdy and intact for a century. The walls, about 36 centimeters thick, are entirely constructed from a mixture of stones and lime, with no cement used at all. The gate walls are carved with auspicious symbols such as landscapes, dragons and phoenixes, qilin, and cranes, which remain vivid and lifelike despite a hundred years of exposure to the elements. The walls above the windows are sculpted into the shape of books, inscribed with poetry and lyrics; each pane features different content, and the inscriptions are still clearly visible today. The floors of both the front and back courtyards are paved with red bricks laid out in a diamond pattern to prevent cracking, showcasing the scientific principles behind its architecture.