Liou Clan Ancestral Hall of Wugou Village Introduction
During the Qing Dynasty, many Hakka immigrants settled in the Wanjian area of Pingtung and began to cultivate the land. As the immigrant population grew, the area of reclamation expanded, leading to the formation of Wugou Village. Wugou Village is a Hakka settlement that preserves many historical sites over a century old, such as the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall, Jinshi Hall, Wu Family Quarters, Half-Moon Pond, Guanhai Mountain House, Zhongyong Temple, Zhong Family Ancient House, Yingquan Zen Temple, and Nanzha Bokong. These sites connect to form a cultural landscape area of Wugou, with the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall being the most famous. The Liu Clan Ancestral Hall is the most intact Hakka courtyard building in southern Taiwan. Inside the ancestral hall, one can find many inscriptions encouraging descendants to behave morally and diligently pursue education, such as "Be humble and respectful in dealings, be filial and obedient at home," "Patience is a gate to virtue, kindness is a family treasure," and "First honor of loyalty and filial piety, second is reading and farming," all of which reflect the Liu clan's emphasis on knowledge and cultivation, laying the foundation for a prosperous family. The ancestors of the Liu clan came from the Hakka people of Ba Lun Che Hu in Zhao Fu Township, Jianping County, Guangdong Province. It has been verified that they are direct descendants of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. Beginning in 1780 (the 45th year of the Qing Dynasty under Qianlong), the descendants of the Liu family gradually made their way to Wugou to develop and cultivate the land, establishing the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall in 1864 (the 3rd year of the Qing Dynasty under Tongzhi). Initially, the ancestral hall had only two horizontal wings on the left and right, which were later extended by adding "Chongguang Tower" and "Ruanli Pavilion," along with an external wing, a garden, a Baroque-style wall, and a mandarin duck pavilion. The structure, materials, and scale of the building reflect the power and status of the Liu family at that time. The beams, door panels, stone pillars, incense burners, and Chaozhou pottery of the ancestral hall originated from the Minnan region of Mainland China, while the entrance and the sides of the roof feature swallowtail designs. The elegant curves of the front door's swallowtail line rise gracefully, decorated with carved floral patterns, while the main hall's swallowtail shape is more austere, adorned with perforated floral tiles at the ridge. The swallowtail architecture also symbolizes the clan members’ success in the civil service examinations and high official positions. The ancestral hall faces westward toward the east, surrounded by dense flowering trees near the entrance, which has a pair of stone lions. A small stream flows gently in front of the wall, symbolizing the Liu family's everlasting lineage and abundant wealth. The overall environment is elegant and tranquil. The architectural layout of the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall reflects early Hakka people's profound respect for their ancestors and their attention to geographical feng shui.
