Xue Family Old Residence

The Xue Family Old Residence, located in Beibei Village, Zuoying District, is one of Kaohsiung City's few well-preserved Min-nan (Southern Fujianese) red-brick courtyard houses, featuring a three-compound layout with extended wing-rooms. The first compound, built by the Xue ancestors in 1820, utilized traditional materials such as lime, clay, and adobe bricks. Ninety years later (in 1910), due to the family's prosperity, it had expanded to include a third compound, using red bricks and limestone from Banpingshan, covering an area of 1400 pings. The construction techniques and structure of the Xue Family Old Residence are meticulous. Although it lacks the pavilions and towers found in gentry homes, its carved wooden brackets, elaborate gables, and decorative windows possess the pleasant charm characteristic of traditional folk architecture. Walking through this ancient residence feels like stepping back in time, where the arduous pioneering efforts of the ancestors during the reclamation and sugar mill period in Zuoying two centuries ago are palpable in every corner. It holds profound cultural and historical significance, also demonstrating the depth of Taiwan's architectural history. Due to its precious and cultural value, the Xue Family Old Residence was once selected as one of Kaohsiung City's Ten Scenic Historical Buildings and is also a designated municipal historic monument of Kaohsiung City.