 The Historic Sites of Dasi, Taoyuan County
Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan County Government
Date of Announcement: January 13, 2004
Registered Category: ArchitectureAddress: 1 Touliao, 6 lin, Fuan Li, Dasi
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 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND |
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The direction and layout of Meihe House was decided in accordance with fengshuei of Luantou School with Touliao Hill at its back, Caoling Hill on its right, a vegetable farm and a pond in the front, and Sinfu Ditch nearby. Facing northwest, the house is surrounded by a bamboo forest with an entrance structure having a raised-ridge in the front and a stone fence with a cobble base.
The layout of the House consists of two luo and six hulong with the central part composed of a courtyard house in the shape of in the front and a courtyard house in the shape of at the back. The main part of the entrance hall is of seven-room width with guoshuei passages on both sides. There are passages inside the entrance hall and therefore rooms are connected to each other when the main gate is closed, thereby making it a design of defence. After you enter the entrance hall, you come to the patio with corridors having round wooden windows on both sides thereof. Ji-cing-tang where tablets with ancestor’s names for the offspring to offer sacrifices are placed is located in the center of the main part of the entrance hall and gods are placed in the hall of the right hulong.
As the right hulong of the House is longer than the left hulong and the outer right hulong, Jing-yuan-tang connected with the fence is longer than the inner right hulong as well, the layout of the House is asymmetrical. Moreover, another outer right hulong was added later on and thereby formed the present layout. The front part of the rear left hulong was originally built of earthen bricks but it was rebuilt of concrete bricks when damaged by a typhoon a few years ago. Others have also been rebuilt as a result of family property divided among the offspring; however, the overall layout may be considered as intact.
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Room holding tablets with ancestor’s names for the offspring to offer sacrifices and displaying tablets showing offspring’s achievements to pay honor to the ancestors |
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Tablet with inscriptions of “Meihe House” and couplets at the front entrance |
The direction and layout of Meihe House was decided in accordance with fengshuei of Luantou School with Touliao Hill at its back, Caoling Hill on its right, a vegetable farm and a pond in the front, and Sinfu Ditch nearby. Facing northwest, the house is surrounded by a bamboo forest with an entrance structure having a raised-ridge in the front and a stone fence with a cobble base.
The layout of the House consists of two luo and six hulong with the central part composed of a courtyard house in the shape of in the front and a courtyard house in the shape of at the back. The main part of the entrance hall is of seven-room width with guoshuei passages on both sides. There are passages inside the entrance hall and therefore rooms are connected to each other when the main gate is closed, thereby making it a design of defence. After you enter the entrance hall, you come to the patio with corridors having round wooden windows on both sides thereof. Ji-cing-tang where tablets with ancestor’s names for the offspring to offer sacrifices are placed is located in the center of the main part of the entrance hall and gods are placed in the hall of the right hulong.
As the right hulong of the House is longer than the left hulong and the outer right hulong, Jing-yuan-tang connected with the fence is longer than the inner right hulong as well, the layout of the House is asymmetrical. Moreover, another outer right hulong was added later on and thereby formed the present layout. The front part of the rear left hulong was originally built of earthen bricks but it was rebuilt of concrete bricks when damaged by a typhoon a few years ago. Others have also been rebuilt as a result of family property divided among the offspring; however, the overall layout may be considered as intact. |
| Diagram:Architectural Plan |
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Upper Street (now Jhongyang Road) in the past |
High-raised ridge and yin-yang slope (the front slope longer than the rear one); clay sculptures on the ridge of the roof; floral decorations on the gable |
 Cobble base and earthen bricks coated with whitewash of the main entrance hall; flat ridge with a few clay sculptures left; round doorknockers with patterns of eight elements of nature |
Patio with a floor pavement of flagstone and corridors with round windows connecting to both wings |
 Patio with a floor pavement of flagstone and corridors with round windows connecting to both wings |
“Guoshuei” passages built of flagstones inside “Shenjing”; part of the floor of shenjing paved with cobbles though covered by moss |
Installations to strengthen security after closing the door like the thick board above mendou, a cavity to erect door bolt, and fillister to hold door blocks |
Needs of defence revealed by the earthen brick wall of 30 cm thick of the right hulong and a wooden window with vertical panels of roughly 20 cm thick and window screens |
 Stone steps carved in the form of the feet of a counter outside the entrance hall and a bell-shaped outlet, totally four of them |
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By Bus  Take Taoyuan Passenger Bus in Taoyuan or Jhongli to the last stop, Dasi; change the bus to Fusing, Baling or Siayuncun and get off at Caoling Stop. Regular buses are scheduled.
By Car Take the 2nd Northern Highway to Dasi exit; take Tai-4 Route and go along the outer-circle path; cross Kanjin Bridge and change to Tai-7 Route leading to Cihhu and then arrive at Caoling; turn right when you see the sign of Dadao Museum and finally arrive at Meihe House. |
Please note:
Meihe House is a private residence.To make a visit to the house, you need to obtain the owner’s approval.
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Supervised by: Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan County Government
Administered by: Mei Shan Jin Co., Ltd.
Organized by: Graduate School of Architecture and Historic Preservation,Taipei National University of the Arts
Text/Diagram: Hueili Zeng
English Editor: Mingsyue Lai
Calligraphy: Yihong Li
Layout: Huaisyuan Huang
Published in May 2004
Map:
Location of Dasi in Taoyuan County
Location of the historic site in Dasi Township |
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