Zhushan Settlement Introduction
Zhushan is located in the southwest of Kinmen Island, at the starting point of the round-the-island west road. It is a settlement of the Xue clan, with ancestors arriving from Xueling in Xiamen during the Yuan Dynasty, giving it a history of 650 years. The first impression upon entering the Zhushan settlement is its beautiful colors, surrounded by highlands and featuring a large pond, creating a favorable feng shui site shaped like "four waters returning to the pond." The entire settlement expands from the ancestral hall at the center, constructed around the large pond, with the ochre-red ancient brick walls reflecting beautifully against the clear green water. Climbing up to Zhushan Park for a stroll and enjoying the scenic view or quietly appreciating the exquisite brick carvings and Vietnamese pottery on the old houses are not to be missed in the Zhushan settlement. Zhushan Park, known among locals as Jianshan, or Zhushan, is actually a small granite hill. Following the steps to the pavilion at the top of the park provides a moment of rest while enjoying the surrounding tranquility in the cool weather; don't forget to take a beautiful photo overlooking the Zhushan settlement from the summit! There are two Xue clan ancestral halls in Zhushan. The larger ancestral hall on the right is dedicated to the founding ancestors and serves the entire village’s Xue clan, while the smaller ancestral hall on the left is part of a branch. The larger hall features exquisite decorations, while the smaller one has a simpler design; both serve as places to honor ancestors and are sites of worship for the hope of future descendants excelling. The Xue Yongnan Brothers Western-style house is one of the "hometown settlements of Kinmen." After the late Qing Dynasty, many villagers went to Luzon (the Philippines) to seek a living, moving from labor to business and eventually becoming wealthy, including the Xue Yongnan brothers. After they succeeded in business, they built the first Western-style house in their hometown of Zhushan, which served both as a residence and as a defense structure, and is currently managed as a guesthouse. The Xue Fangjian Western-style house (also known as the Mechanism Building) was built in 1931 on a stilt foundation. At that time, coastal pirate threats in Kinmen were a concern, and the houses of overseas Chinese became their targets. To strengthen defenses, many Western-style buildings were constructed on elevated land with added defensive features. The Xue Fangjian house, along with the Xue Yongnan brothers' house and the Zhua Yan on the east side of the settlement, formed an iron triangle protecting the Zhushan settlement; it was even garrisoned by Japanese soldiers during the Japanese colonial period, thus also called the "Mechanism Building."
