Chen Wanqi Ancient House Introduction
Xizhi Old Street, centered on Zhongzheng Road and Qiedong Road, winds around the area surrounding the train station and has been the most bustling area in Xizhi since the Qing Dynasty. Despite the passage of time, stepping into the old street seems to detach one from the disturbances of the outside world, allowing the weathered red bricks and traces of moss to tell stories of the past. Next to the Xizhi Interchange stands an old Baroque-style building. This two-story structure, built in the 15th year of the Taisho era (1926), has a history of over 90 years. Constructed by Chen Wanqi, who started his career in traditional Chinese medicine, he was one of the wealthy merchants in Xizhi at that time. The building was completed over many years, with materials sourced from the mainland and designed and built by craftsmen from Quanzhou. It is a typical example of Baroque architecture mixed with postmodernism, featuring a gable wall at the peak known as the "gable," a common characteristic of postmodernism. Currently, it is one of the few well-preserved ancient houses on Xizhi Old Street. The nostalgic old house and the nearby high-rise buildings showcase a juxtaposition of eras.
