Xu Fu Bamboo Pavilion Introduction
Located to the north of Touhu Junior High School. It is said that in the past, the residence was surrounded by green bamboo, which is why it was named "Zhuzigge" (Bamboo Pavilion). Another account suggests that the Xu family came from a scholarly lineage, with numerous literati emerging during the late Qing Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period. The Xu family is situated on the southern bank of Longjing Pond in the Holo River, and they once built several bamboo pavilions to host poets and literati from the mountain towns, hence the name. The Xu family of Bamboo Pavilion has roots in Jiaoling, Guangdong. The fourteenth ancestor, Xu Haomin, crossed to Taiwan during the Qianlong period and settled in the current location of Kantou, Miaoli. The original structure was built during the Guangxu period and underwent minor repairs after the earthquake in 1935, remaining relatively intact today. The front yard is divided into inner and outer courtyards, with a stone flagpole for the honorary student on the right side of the outer courtyard. The roof features a swallowtail style, and the windows and doors of the main hall are intricately carved with exquisite floral decorations. Inside the hall, there is a shrine honoring the ancestors of the Xu family, with the rear door to the main hall located behind the altar, which is a quite rare layout. Not far from the Xu residence is Longjing Pond, situated at the confluence of Laotianliao Creek and Holo River. It is a deep pond that once had a wide surface, making it the best place for local villagers to hold dragon boat races and for literati to row boats under the moonlight and compose poetry. Therefore, "Longtan Fan Yue" (Moon Viewing at Longtan) was once one of the Eight Scenic Spots of the area.
