Ximen Red House Toilet Introduction
The Xiaoxi Gate Model Toilet was built in 1917 (the 6th year of the Republic of China) with funding from Wu Zhao-ping after he returned from overseas trade. Wu Zhao-ping (1854-1936), courtesy name Jinzhang, also known as Guangping (commonly used in Indonesia and Singapore), was from Xiaoxi Gate. In 1874, during the 13th year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing dynasty, he went to Tanjung Balai Asahan in Sumatra, Indonesia, and partnered with friends to operate a business named "Cheng Shun Fu," engaged in local product trade. He later moved to Singapore for business and actively participated in public welfare activities in Southeast Asia, including establishing the Peishan School in the Sulu Islands, and was involved in various activities of the Kinmen Association in Singapore, such as donating for the renovation of the Wujiang Fuzhi Temple in 1919 and investing 1,000 Straits dollars at the inception of the Kinmen Shipping Company in 1922, being the largest investment among overseas Chinese merchants at that time. He was also honored as a Kapitan in Sumatra, Indonesia, and spent his later years in Gulangyu, Xiamen. After achieving success, Wu Zhao-ping returned to Xiaoxi Gate in 1900 (the 27th year of the Guangxu era) and planned a row of three two-story buildings. The first was completed in 1903 (the 29th year of the Guangxu era), the second in 1905 (the 31st year of the Guangxu era), and the last in 1915 (the 4th year of the Republic of China). The old latrine in the Xiaoxi Gate settlement, originally located in front of Wu Zhao-ping’s new buildings, was moved to the southwestern outskirts of the village after Wu Zhao-ping negotiated with the villagers for sanitary living conditions. Wu Zhao-ping then purchased land and rebuilt the "Model Toilet" in 1917. The Model Toilet was equipped with 22 toilet seats according to the original household numbers and was numbered accordingly. Each toilet consisted of a toilet fixture and a collection pit. The toilet seats belonging to the Wu Zhao-ping family were numbered 1 and 2, featuring roofs for more privacy, while the remaining 20 open-air toilet seats were assigned through a lottery system, with contracts defining ownership; each household was allocated one toilet seat for self-management and collection of wastewater. The Xiaoxi Gate Model Toilet evolved from the traditional latrine, fulfilling local public health and agricultural needs for wastewater, and reflected the contributions and improvements made by the local overseas Chinese concerning environmental sanitation and facility space. (Source: Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau)
