Qionglin Settlement Introduction
Located in the central part of Kinmen Island, Qionglin is home primarily to the Cai clan and is the largest traditional settlement in Kinmen. In the past, it produced many talented individuals who achieved remarkable success in their careers, and the area was honored with the name "Qionglin" by Emperor Xizong of the Ming dynasty. Whenever someone from this area passed the imperial examination, a clan temple would be established, resulting in a total of six clan temples in Qionglin, famously referred to as "Seven Temples and Eight Shrines." These include the Cai Clan Ancestral Hall (the main ancestral hall), the Liu Shi Zhuxi Clan Ancestral Hall, the Shi Shi Baiya Clan Ancestral Hall, the Liu Shi Lepu Clan and Shi Shi Tingfu Clan Ancestral Hall, the Liu Shi Qiantingfang Clan Ancestral Hall, the Eleven Shi Rongsheng Clan Ancestral Hall, and the Sixteen Shi Cai Shouyu Clan Ancestral Hall. It can be said that Qionglin hosts the most clan temples on Kinmen Island, with the Cai Clan Ancestral Hall serving as the heart of the settlement and a symbol of pride for the prominent Cai family. The lion guardian figure embedded in the back wall of the ancestral hall is a popular attraction for many visitors and is currently classified as a historic site. The Flower Brick Wall is a new artistic landscape in Qionglin, located on the wall of a residential building behind the Qionglin Protective Temple Theater. This mural was created by local artist Wu Dingxin in collaboration with community residents, featuring flower tiles made from traditional brick kilns. The depiction of the Kapok tree in Kinmen County is vivid and alive, celebrating the beauty of all four seasons!
