De Yue Lou Introduction
The De Yue Lou was built in 1931 and was commissioned by Huang Hui-Huang, who became wealthy through business in the Shui Tou settlement. He hired a craftsman from Fujian, Chen Nan-An, to design and construct this towering structure, which became the tallest building in Shui Tou at that time. The name "De Yue Lou" is inspired by the saying "the platform by the water gets the moon first." When the De Yue Lou was built, it was during a period of severe lawlessness in Kinmen, with numerous incidents of bandits landing and plundering. Being situated by the seaside, the Shui Tou settlement was a prime target for these robbers. Therefore, the De Yue Lou was intentionally constructed with various defensive features: gun ports on the walls of the third and fourth floors for aiming, crenellations on the rooftop’s parapet for defense, and escape tunnels leading the owner to the adjacent Fan Zi Lou in emergencies. Combining functionality with aesthetics, De Yue Lou is recognized as one of Taiwan's historical architectural landmarks. Currently, there are free guided tours available, allowing visitors to experience the timeless elegance of De Yue Lou. Guided tours are scheduled daily with six sessions: 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00.
