Fanjiang Old House Cluster Introduction
The famous Fan Jiang Old House Cluster in Xinwu consists of five old houses with Hakka rustic characteristics, designed in the traditional three-courtyard layout, surrounded by brick walls and arranged in a口字 shape. House No. 9 in the Fan Jiang Old House Cluster has been designated as a city-level historical monument, Fan Jiang Ancestor Hall, featuring a plaque inscribed with "陶渭流芳" (Tao Wei Liu Fang) from Jiaozhi porcelain above its entrance, along with valuable cultural relics such as incense burners and pottery jars found within the hall, all adorned with intricately painted walls, wood carvings, and brick engravings. House No. 6, marked by the plaque "陶渭高風" (Tao Wei Gao Feng), features book-scroll window decorations, white walls, and stone sculptures in the front yard, creating a serene and pleasant atmosphere. House No. 3 is the most distinctive with its exquisite decorative carvings on the roof ridge, eaves, and both sides of the main entrance. House No. 2 displays a combination of white walls and red bricks with a pebble-stone entrance wall, showcasing a composite architectural style. House No. 1, built from red bricks, features a gabled roof that evokes memories of its glorious past, as if time had stood still here. The Ancestor Hall hosts spring and autumn sacrificial ceremonies on the fifth day of the fourth lunar month and the first day of the eighth month each year, marking the most grand gathering and worship activities. The Fan Jiang Old House Cluster fully showcases the characteristics of traditional Hakka courtyards and is a great spot for visitors who love exploring historical sites and taking photographs. The Left Horizontal House Cluster was restored in 2021, themed as "Horizontal House Dots," featuring six revitalization areas, including the Eight-Tone Learning Hall, Reading Time, Crafting Classroom, Small Art Gallery, Cultural Tea House, and Living Reading House. Among these, the Eight-Tone Learning Hall allows visitors to experience traditional musical instruments commonly seen and heard in past temple fairs. Additionally, the Fan Jiang family has produced many calligraphers and painters, with contemporary artist Fan Jiang Minghua's oil paintings exhibited in the Small Art Gallery, vividly reflecting local cultural sentiments through the theme of shadow puppetry. Moreover, the Cultural Tea House offers a new flavor for tea drinking at the old house, while the open Living Reading House facilitates parent-child reading. Reading Time and the Crafting Classroom bring visitors closer to the historical site.
