Wang Jishi Mansion

Many tourists visiting Anping are often amused by the name 'Wang Jishi Mansion,' wondering why such a beautiful old house has such a rustic name. Built in 1937, Wang Jishi Mansion was the most luxurious residence in Anping at the time, standing out uniquely like a crane among chickens amidst a landscape of traditional Minnan-style bungalows. It got this name because the owner's name was Wang Jishi. During the Japanese colonial period, Mr. Wang Jishi became wealthy by contracting transportation work for a Japanese salt company, and thus built this Western-style mansion as his residence. The two-story building was already the tallest structure in Anping at the time. Later, with the outbreak of World War II, to prevent the mansion's prominent appearance from becoming a target for Allied bombing, the Japanese painted the mansion black with asphalt. Traces of the original paint can still be faintly seen today. Next to the mansion are unique stone benches, which were ballast stones from ships that traveled between the 'Black Ditch' (Taiwan Strait) in early times. Such ballast stones are common in Anping; some are used as stone steps or footrests, while others are casually placed in courtyards, allowing tired visitors to rest on them. Wang Jishi Mansion is still inhabited by descendants of the Wang family, so visitors are reminded not to disturb the living environment of the Wang family descendants when visiting.