Hsiao's Manor of Jiadong - Living in a Stronghold 佳冬蕭家古厝, 歐洲中世紀古堡庄落重現台灣

The dwelling compound's gatehouse of Hsiao's Manor where the 1895 year of Formosa Republic Siege Battle with Japan took place.

The Castle, A Self Supporting Living in a Stronghold

A typical European Medieval Fortress and Castle normally features in a moat surrounding the stronghold's walls with defensive battlement atop or a keep playing as a watch tower. It also provides life self supporting facilities for the occupants at the fort when it is besieged. The Hsiao's Manor at Jiadong of Pingtung has got the similar defensive and self supporting structures, a moat, fort wall, fortress gate, and a complex of single family dwelling and a similar Castle Keep playing the role of a watch tower that oversees the entire city. 

Figure: A section of the Hsiao's Manor former fortress walls were restored to its original state while the moat ditch adjacent to the walls have been covered with pavement. The host Architect Hsiao Yihshiong (蕭義雄) of the Hsiao's family gave an orientation to the manor state to the Taiwan Old-Family group to uncover secrete of past built.

Figure: The moat ditch belts the Hsiao's Manor at its front recently restored.

Figure: A reconstructed model in display at the media room of Hsiao's Manor provides an holistic view of the manor in the form of rectangular dwelling compounds with multiple housing units and flanked by a moat and two gates for the original Hsiao's Manor. The three story tall watch-tower building was a 1930's addition to the property as a guest house and local clinic owned by the Hsiao's family

Looking at the examples of European castles and other fortifications which were considered as military engineering construction primarily to provide a well-protected home for its occupants. The well designed shapes of the armour encased the owners of the castles. The form of the castle is highly decided by the materials with which it was to be built on the particular site. The complex services it had to provide for the community within its walls and the functions it had to perform. Although it was rarely under a siege for most of its life, the compound has to provide much more than a sort of corporate suit of armour.

Figure: A typical medieval Motte-and-Bailey castle in Europe. A natural ditch enclosed a fort with a living quarters and a higher structure overlooking potential invader out of the fence.  Source. Clophill History Cainhoe Castle

As a home for self supporting community it had to have a supply of good water and good drainage for sewage. Facilities have to be provided for the production and storage of large quantity of food, kitchen, maybe bakery, diary, a butchery, and a brewery besides facilities for weaving cloth and a smithy and all sort of needs for a medieval community, including place for worship like Chapel. It is essential that the castle should be able to combat various forms of attack and the design should be flexible enough to meet new form of it.

Figure: Japan's Himeji Castle with multiple floor dwelling space, a UNESCO World Heritage in Kansai of Japan

Taking two fine exemplary early Motte-and-Bailey castle in Britain and another in 16th century Samurai period Himeji Castle(姬路城) for a comparison. These were constructed at the time when there was a weaken central or lack of an orderly administration and local nobleman have to put up their own defensive forces at their dwelling compounds. A wall, either simple or solid curtain wall, surrounded by water ditch to form a natural barrier for siege and access through a gate. A living quarter inside the walls either in plan or multiple floors are built along with certain storage and domesticating livestock as their production. A higher ground tower either in a raised ground or built part of the multiple floors to provide vantage to watch over a potential attack day and night.

Another UNESCO World Heritage recently added in southern China for the Hahka Compound dwellings, Tulou(土樓),  also shares several defensive aspects of the European and Japanese Castles. They were also built at the time of frequent riots. Grouped living is commonly seen at this type of dwelling with a central space uphold for their common ancestors due to the fact it houses primarily with a single clan. The forms were built with inward looking in either circular or square floor and functions like a village. The exterior of Fujian Tulou was plain but looking through inside it boosts with extravagant decorations and comfort.  

Figure: Hahka Dwelling Compounds with various shapes in the China's provinces of Hohkien and Guangdon and some of them are inscribed by UNESCO World Heritage. The compounds would be in single circular defensive fort or multiple circular forts inter-connecting each other, rectangular fort and semicircular fan shape fort all provide multiple household units in one structure with a stronghold nature. Source: Wiki Common

The Fort Communal Dwelling of Hahka 客家圍籠集村

There were large dwelling compounds made up of a key clan and its relatives who built a defensive walls during the 18th to the 19th century Taiwan in response to the settlement nature of land and water occupation and rivalry to other settlers and original Austronesian plain tribes's push back. These forms of societal establishment were similar to the federal kingdoms of the Medieval Europe and fighting between lands and resource, building defensive structure to ward off invaders and cross marriage to other clans to gain peace and horizontal power across lands and territory. 

Figure: A private fortress gate of Fort Dakerkan(大嵙崁城) owned by Lins family of Taipei's Banchiao(板橋林家) in their upstream ancestral village at Dashi(大溪) of Taoyuan City before Lins settled in Banchaio fort. The gate was well built with two story high during early 19th century. The photo was taken in early year of 1900s and soon after it was demolished. Source: National Historic Monuments of Taiwan

Taipei's successful Banchiao Lins(板橋林家) is one of the big families in Taiwan who have built their own walled dwelling compound Tongyidi of Fort Dakerkan (大嵙崁城-通議第) in the 18th to the 19th century Dashi town in Taoyuan and later Banchiao of Taipei although Lins were not primarily Hahka speaking. The walled family residence was built to protect the Lins's wealth base in the Dashi river town where they have gained prospered and to provide a safeguarding barrier for nearby Atayal (泰雅族) tribe as well as coveted immigrants from Chuanzhou (泉州). The Hsiao's Manor in Jiatong (佳冬蕭家) of Pingtung shares a similar course of passage of growth and both have significant of influence in modern day Taiwan from Arts to Academic and from Business to Politics. 

Architecturally, the Hsiao's Manor at Jiadong embodies the defensive and self sustaining characteristics of an European or Japanese Warrior castle or fortifications and also the Hahka Tulou type of single clan village enclosure built for highest safety and is one of the few still survives in Taiwan.

About Jiadong and Hahka Settlement 佳冬與客家六堆

Jiadong(佳冬) is a compact and seashore town of Pingtung(屏東) county in the southern Taiwan and historically it was the place of Austronesian plain tribe of Katangkha(茄騰社), part of the Makatao (馬卡道) tribe in the plain areas. The Katangkha can be found in the earliest map of geological survey made in the early years of Formosa acquired by the Manchu Chin Emperor Kanshi (康熙帝) during 1684. Within half a century, the island western half have been Han normalized with influx of settlers from southern China.

Figure: (click to enlarge) The tribal village of "Katangkha"(茄騰社) was first revealed in the 1684 geological survey made during early year of Formosa acquisition by the Manchu Chin Empire. The current naming of Jiadon can be traced from this tribal name. Map: Digital Atlas of Academia Sinica Taiwan and Library of Congress, United States. (https://digitalatlas.asdc.sinica.edu.tw/)

The name of modern day Jiadong have multiple sources. One it is related to the tribe of Katangkga (茄藤) in which pronounced in Holo (河洛語) as Katang sounds pretty closer to each other. A second source came from this place grown with trees of Ka-tang (茄苳樹), Bischofia javanica, which are also commonly seen in west half of island Taiwan. Looking through the historic maps during the Chin Administration over Taiwan, the Jiadong village would be deeply connected to the original tribal destination of Katangkga. 

As in the map of early 1730's during Emperor year of Chin Yongcheng(清雍正), the Han's settlement village of Katangkha(加藤庄) has been clearly marked in the armed forces bases survey as well as a river habour born with such name. In the early days of Chin dynasty map created by hand drawing, the name would be written when it was heard and it can be found with names pronounced in similar ways, so in the areas, 加冬, 茄藤, 加藤 can all happen. It was until the land reform during Japanese administration of 1920, the village was officially name as Jiadong (佳冬).

Figure: (click to enlarge)  The Katangkha tribal village evolved into a Han's settlement as Jiateng village(加藤庄) and a river harbour of Katangkha(加藤港) during early 18th century, revealed in the 1735 Armed Forces Map of Taiwan (臺灣府汛防圖) of Manchu Chin Emperor Yongcheng(雍正) . Source: Digital Atlas of Academia Sinica, British Library.(https://digitalatlas.asdc.sinica.edu.tw/) 

During the population survey in 1930 by the Japanese government, the population of Jiagdong village reached over 10000 in which the 70 percent of the population were from Guangdong province of the southern China. Historically the place at modern day Pingtung has a thriving culture and population of Hahka speaking identity throughout centuries and the area of Jiadong is part of the system of  six Hahka self-defensive garrison groups (六堆, Liuktoei) and is located in its very left hand side and Jiadong was called Left Garrison(左堆) settlement in Hakha speaking identity in that region.

 

Figure: The Six Hahka Self Defensive Garrison Groups (六堆) populating from Pingtung to Kaohsiung since the early 18th century. 

The self defensive force at Left Garrison of Jiadong came to ease a historical event of rebellion led by Chu Yiguei (朱一貴 ) in year 1721 and subsequently another rebellion led by Wu fushen (吳福生) in year 1732 and again assisting the Chin royal troop to ease the riot of Lin Shuanwen (林爽文) during 1786-1788. The self defensive force from Jiadong was chartered by the Chienlong (乾隆) Emperor for their bravery and giving a Chartered Loyalist (褒忠) plaque for the entire force as a supreme honor at this Hahka settlement. This honor of the Royal Chartered Loyalist plaque was inscribed at top banner of West Bar Gate (西柵門), part of the new bamboo and clay walled fortress with four bar gates laid for Jiadong village during 1811.

Figure: The West Bar Gate(西柵門) of Jiadong village with a honorary "Chartered Loyalist"(褒忠) at the top of the Bar structure, a reminder of the self defensive Hahka task force ever developed in the 18th century from the settlers to the island. Source: Jiadong town office of Pingtung county.

In 1895 Sino-Nipon war that Manchu Chin's territory of Formosa and Pescardores Isles were in an exchange to Japan Empire for the lose of the war. Taiwanese were furious about having to be thrown away and they grouped to rebel with the upcoming Japan military force. That year the short lived like a butterfly the Republic of Formosa (台灣民主國) formed from Taipei and Tainan for a half year long war of Formosa Rebellion Against Japan (乙末戰爭, 台湾平定役) was seen here as a last combat battleground at Hsiao's Manor's stronghold against the planned military take-over dispatched from Japan. Hsiao Guanming (蕭光明)(1841-1911) from the Hsiao's family was responsible as the vice cabinet undertaking the defensive task force for the Hakha Left Garrison group. The battle took place at the Manor's Gate house (步月樓) and the holes of the bullets can still be seen through the structure. Hsiao's many historic documents were burnt and destroyed at this heroic event and two sons of Hsiao lost their life in this siege. 

Figure: The surviving gatehouse of Hsiao Manor - Gate of Laddering to the Moon (步月樓), is the battleground of the war in 1895 for Formosa Republic Rebellion Siege War against Japan (乙末戰爭)

Hsiao's Manor occupies a large proportion of the village and it is embraced by not just its manor's fort gate but also the fort once stood around the village since 1811. The village has been the a major residential area for major five clans(Hsiao's 蕭家, Yang's 楊家, Dai's 戴家, Lai's 賴家, Lin's 林家) with Hsiao clan sits in the very heart of the village and perhaps the largest of the entire village. As a key Hahka settlement in Taiwan, there is a Hahka specific God's temple, the Temple for the Lord of Three Mountains (三山國王廟) which was largely worshiped by people in Chaozhou(潮州) of Guangdong province. The temple sits right in front of the Hsiao's Manor and has be flourished the village for three centuries. 

Figure: Hsiao's Manor and village of Jiadong in Pingtung County seen from above. The three centuries old Hahka Temple of the Lord of Three Mountains located at right out of the Hsiao's Manor in the left of the photo. Courtesy of Hsiao's Manor.

Hsiao clan also acquired a vast farmland where the irrigation channels meet out of the village and it has been developed as a workshop for making rice into grain and dyed cloth at the beginning of 20th century and now this is their place for organic vegetable fruits and livestock animal farm which Hsiao has turned their life supporting asset as an expertise for real business during first half of  20th century as the key family member led a key company for the wholesale of vegetable and fruits for the Kaohsiung Prefecture.

Figure: Hsiao's Farm at the fringe of the village along the irrigation network. Courtesy of the Hsiao's Manor.

Hsiao's Manor and the Hsiao's Clan (佳冬蕭家與夥房古厝)

Hsiao's Manor is one of the major compound dwellings inside the village of Jiadong and is often listed one of the top ten country manor houses to visit in Taiwan. The dwelling compound is the only Five-Rows Mansion (五堂大屋) formed in a square shape of courtyard house (圍龍) in entire Hahka residential development in the country. Hsiao's Manor in Hahka language is called the 蕭家夥房 in which the 夥房(伙房) is an alternative Hans Chinese term in Hahka to describe traditional farmhouses, two-wings cottages, courtyard house, compared to the Holo speaking community as Sanheyuan(三合院) and grand courtyard house (大厝) . The vast precinct of Hsiao's Manor has been inscribed as a Grade III listed buildings of Taiwan since 1985 through the Cultural Heritage Protection Act.

Figure: The floor plan guide and reconstructed 3D models of Hsiao's Manor.

The house at current Hsiao's Manor was first laid simple during 1860's through the hand of Hsiao Guanming (蕭光明) having his desired building materials all shipped from China. The middle rows of second to the forth and the connected flanking houses were completed by 1870's. The first and entrance row was added in 1875 with expansion of the side row. The fifth row was expanded to accommodate more rooms for living in 1880 and that enclosure of such defensive walls were erected in that same year. The ultimate compound forms a block structure with 29.6 meter wide, 67 meter depth, making almost one of the largest Hahka dwelling for single family in the southern Taiwan. Each chambers are connected by roof top covered corridor and gun hole placement in many corner of the houses for the defensive purpose. 

The generation of Hsiao's family Hsiao Dahmei (蕭達梅) arrived in Taiwan in late 18th century from Mei County (Plum County) of Guangdon Province. He initially landed at Tainan and then eventually settled in Jiadong village. Over generations, the Hsiao made a living from brewery and gained their wealth through acquiring vast lands in the areas. The third generation Hsiao Guanming (蕭光明) who participated the 1895 war against Japan had opened a business as Hsiao Hsieh-shin (蕭協興商號), literally the Hsiao's Cooperative Growing Business and had business across areas of Tainan, Dongkang(東港) and Jiadong for Grains Grocery and Dyed-Clothing.

Figure: Fourth generation of Hsiao- Hsiao Guanming (蕭光明) and his lady in late 19th century, a display of family members in the Hsiao's Manor media room. Courtesy of Hsiao's Family in Jiadong

Photos of Hsiao Guanming's lady and the entire family branching from him are currently displayed in the media room of the Hsiao's Manor through the first chamber of the entrance hall. It was one of the first things to be oriented in the curation. Taiwan Old Family have a visit coordinated through its members who have a cross marriage with the Hsiao's Clan, one of the most important to connect with in the Southern Taiwan. 

Our group member, Katy Hung from Taipei Hong Clan rooted in Wanghua and Tamsui of Taipei who also has a family relation to the Pingtungs' Hsiao have discovered a likelihood of a tattoo face, a bit shadow of the photo, for the photo frame from Hsiao Guanming's lady shown in the media gallery hall. It was initially thought an Paiwan Austronesian tribe of the nearby area. The accompanied scholars from Yilan county in Taiwan Old Family group also pointed out the it would be more like Atayal (Tayal) group in the northern Taiwan to have such facial tattoo feature for adult women but not in the south where Hsiao's clan mostly socialized in the 19th century. It was until to finally escalated to consult the host of the Hsiao family orientation tour, Hsiao Yihsiong (蕭義雄), a sixth generation Hsiao descendant, that this photo does show a real facial tattoo tradition and she was very likely from a noble family in an Austronesian Plain tribe (Pepoha, Pinpu tribe). 

Figure: Hsiao's family chart in the recent century was displayed in the media room. The lady Hsiao of 4th generation family leader Hsiao Guanming(蕭光明) has an Austronesian background either Plain Tribe or High mountain tribe of Formosa.

Figure: Austronesian Girl with Tattoo face, a primary feature of an adult female in Atayal (Tayal) group of north and central Formosa. Source: Digital Repository Lafayette USA.

Historically women's facial tattoo tradition was primarily practiced by the Atayal (Tayal) tribe which populated in the northern to central mountains of Formosa, it is interesting to explore whether she still remained her real ethnic origin with such tattoo facial feature when she married to Hsiao's family who was a Hahka from Guangdong in China. Noted in the photo of her portrait that she also had big feet rather than binding feet of a Chinese women although early day Hahka women in Taiwan did not necessarily foot-binding due to the essential physical workout carried out by women in Hahka group as opposed in Holo-Han Chinese women. This is a mystery to this photo for her real ethnic background and whether she was Han-normalized in the days of her marriage with Hsiao as Pinpu tribe started to get Han normalized since early 18th century as it was shown in the above 1730 area map during Manchu Chin Emperor Yongchen(清雍正). It was also a tradition of a Matrilineality for many Austronesian groups in Formosa that women was the one to inherit the land and family ownership. It would be very much interesting to explore in that 18th to 19th century Taiwan how Han Chinese immigrant married with Pinpu tribe for the passage of Han normalization pressure as well as land inheritance. 

Figure: Hsiao's Manor Han Chinese style front gate(left), Hahka Incinerator (center) and Austronesian thatched roof cottage as neighborhood (right) as well a Hsiao's people standing right behind the moat ditch as seen in the late 19th century. Courtesy of Hsiao's Manor.

Beside the first lady of the Hsiao's Manor mysterious facial tattoo and ethnic identity, it was remarkably to see the late 19th century neighborhood of Hsiao's Manor house with a striking feature of thatched roof cottages which were largely the typical housing design from the Pinpu tribe. People would also discovered thatched roof cottages in medieval England and Japan where timber and vernacular structures were the main style of structure of a house. Thatched roof, however, was not a primary form of Chinese housing as covered by clay shingles were used for more than thousands of years. 

Scottish photographer John Thompson had a visit to indigenous groups of southern Taiwan through Tainan and Kaohsiung and left a tremendous evidence of how the people and their outfit and space of dwellings through a fine observation that the people of the tribal origin remained living in their timber, bamboo and thatched roof structure as a contrary to Han immigrants houses made of clay shingles and brick. The early photo of perhaps late 1890's might suggest the vast area where Hsiao's Manor now stands would also be a village populated by Austronesian Plains tribe but gradual normalized by Hans immigrants and regime through years since 1730's. (See more on page 366 of Reference #7)

Figure: A 19th century Scottish Photographer John Thompson made a visit to southern Taiwan in 1871 and had left a photo of Austronesian dwelling with Thatched Roof Cottages as "Old Pe-po-hoan women, Lao-long, Formosa" near the modern day upstream Laolong(荖濃) Kaohsiung and Pingtung. Source: Wellcome Library UK

After the siege battle took place in Hsiao's Manor of the 1895 when Japan came to receive Formosa, the Hsiao family leader Hsiao Guanming continued to play a key role of Jiadong town Constable (保甲局長) as a chief local safeguard organization permitted by the Japanese government during the early Japanese administration of Taiwan. His first son Hsiao Shih-hsiang (蕭世祥, also 蕭贊堯) had received a royal chartered scholar (秀才) from Manchu Chin Royal Examination and a well known gentry class during that early years in Japan and it was until his grandson Hsiao Un-hsiang (蕭恩鄉)(1897-1963) had a significant involvement of the local affairs for many decades until late 1960's. 

Hsiao Un-hsiang ever studied Medicine at Tokyo Japan and was one of the few in the southern Taiwan ever reached a parliamentary member of Japanese Administration. He built an Art-Deco three story tall western house he had observed in Japan at his Hsiao's Manor which now still stands. During his career at Japanese Taiwan, he had a role of the Chairmen of Jiadong local Building Society(banking sector 佳冬信用組合), town mayor of Jiadong (佳冬庄長), Kaohsiung Prefecture Parliamentary Member(高雄州議員), Chairmen and various roles of Kaohsiung Fruit and Vegetable Company(高雄州青果同業組合副組長, 高雄青果株式會社取締役) and the chairmen of Pingtung Charity organization in post WWII Taiwan. 

Figure: Display of Hsiao Shohwai (蕭秀淮) and his life time contributions in political and business roles at the media room of Hsiao's Manor. Courtesy of Hsiao's Manor

Hsiao Shohwai(蕭秀淮), son of Hsiao Shih-Hsiang(蕭贊堯/世祥) and a junior sibling of Hsiao Un-hsiang(蕭恩鄉), married the daughter of Tamsui Mayor Hong Yinan(洪以南) (see another article of Hong's family of Taipei walled city). Hsiao Shohwai was a key banker at Bank of Taiwan during Imperial Japan pre-war Taiwan and a key staff in forming the Central Bank of the State Manchuria (滿州國) (1932-1943). 

Hsiao Liren(蕭力仁), a grandson of Hsiao Shohwai and shared descendant of Hong's of Taipei, is a renown and award winning architect (http://www.lirenhsiao.com.tw/) in Taiwan and has served as one the chief civic consultants many years in Taipei City Government. There are still a handful of Hsiao family descendants who play vital contribution and with influence in contemporary Taiwan society and this article explores only a tiny fraction of a long list.

The Western Palatial Front of the Historic Hsiao's Manor

On arrival of the compound, the Hsiao's Manor is belted with a pound which in the past a form of natural water and part of the self supporting and defensive space. The vast manor is right behind the pound with a rare wide facade stretching into three major partition. The Hsiao's Manor is featured in a rich central entrance with an elaborate facade formed by a top gable wall. The terrazzo made two lions holding up the ball (雙獅捧珠) atop of the coat of arm wall with fine flower motif was once a fashionable western style decoration in early Japanese Administration in which Historicism Architecture came to Taiwan. This decoration gives the country house a palatial quality as a wealthy stately home of the country. The remodeling into a Western Historicism Architecture was a face-lift addition to the entire compound laid in early 1910's after a typhoon which had damaged the original entrance row which was primarily laid in 1875.

Figure: The central entrance facade of the Hsiao's Manor was built to impress the guests of their immense wealth.

The original red brick arched entrance was still kept at its left facade partition which would be the original piece. The right facade partition features in the 18th century English Queen Ann style that is white stone(terrazzo) interlaced with red brick walls. The style reached to its high in Asian countries as it brought by Japanese architect Tatsuno Kingo (辰野金吾) who came to study to University College London and had influenced major public architectures for fire resisting buildings and cities in Meji Reform Japan. Historically this is also called Kingo's Architectural style (辰野風). The entrance were built to impress the guests by the wealth of the host family like entering a pubic space of certain authority. These two partitions are the only area of the entire manor that as a stress on western architecture elements while the rest of the five rows cottages are essentially a Han Chinese buildings.

Figure: 

Above.The original facade of the Manor was in the left hand facade partition with arched red brick style was is common in late 19th century street block. 

Below:The right hand facade partition was also a remodeled along with the central entrance that is more like an influence brought through the Meji reform of Japan, the gable wall of the roof is modeled like a battlement of a castle.

Figure: It is a rare to see coral as the materials for terrazzo in Taiwan as it tells how much the wealth of the household when the entrance row pillars were relaid in early 1920's.

Figure: Taiwan Old Family has a group photo with the Hsiao family host, architect Hsiao Yihsiong at the grand entrance of the family lodge.

Han Chinese Customs Inside the Historic Hsiao's Manor

After entering the imposing and ornate front row of entrance hall, guests are redirected through a media room which exhibits the history of the family and members through two centuries of turbulence and architectural models of the vast property of Hsiao's clan in current site as well as nearby farm. 

Figure: The media room was all set up by the host Hsiao Yi-hsiong (蕭義雄) since early 2000's. Architect Hsiao was practicing architect before returning home at Hsiao's Manor. He was responsible for curation of the exhibition and he gave an in person orientation to Taiwan Old-Family members during the visit of 8th January 2021.

After the first row hall, the ground level of the entire manor gains higher after each row of hall as it shows an ascending social order inside a Hans family. Halls on the central axis were either space for ancestral worship or senior member's living chambers and no space for worshiping the Gods like the Holo communities farmhouse of Taiwan in which sharing a hall for the Gods. In the Hahka believing, the Gods's proprietary space is out of the housing area. This is commonly seen in many historic homes of Hahka families in Taiwan.

Figure: The first courtyard of between first row and second row of the mansion and the watch tower like structure aside to the grand mansion as the addition during 1930's. 

Figure: Looking inward. The flanking garden of the first courtyard with octagonal doorway and Chinese book roll windows on the partition walls.

Figure: Looking outward. The Chinese garden design inside the first courtyard of the grand manor.

There are totally five rows of hall and four courtyards of various sizes in central axis of the manor compound. The first one is the largest and more exterior looking and guest welcoming. The first courtyard has two end extending to the flanking houses and forms a major space for family group gathering and guest entertainment in a Chinese garden with patterns for Chinese book rolls and blissful octagonal doorway making it as transplanted Chinese royal garden into a private household. 

Figure: The family altar is located at the second row mansion with front and rear view well enshrined with wooden art gilded in a Hahka decorative style originated from Chaozhou of Guangdong. 

At the second to the third row halls of the manor is seen the highest quality of the craftsmanship of carpentry and masonry from the 19th century Guangdong Province.  These two rows and the flanking houses were mainly constructed since 1860's at the generation of Hsiao Guanming who started off the entire property. The third row hall was refurbished as terrazzo and stone wall during the first half of the 20th century.

This section of the manor was made with clay and straw mixed mud and covered with lime and red shingles ad brick shipped from southern China in the 19th century. The timber materials were once the highest quality fir tree of Fuchow (福州). The interior is installed with finest timber screens and altar carvings gilded with thin gold, a typical craftsman of Chaochow(潮州). As the building materials made from humble mud and straw adobes but wrapped by thin red bricks, the way of traditional farmhouse construction has a legend of Gold Wrapping around the Jade (金包玉) as one of the earliest way of humble living seen in many Hahka communities. Although the material is simple, but the decoration on top of the walls of the house is truly extravagant. 

The halls at the second row and third row are dedicated for ancestral worshiping, making it a central piece of the entire living as seen the Fujian Tulou UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Figure: The third row is the centerpiece of the entire manor. The doorway art of 150 years old fresco painting themed with a fairy lady and a old men which bears a metaphor for longevity in Hans Chinese culture is recently replicated and display aside with original. The decorative picture frame for entering third row court house is gilded to mark a treasure of the house at its center.

Figure: The fascinating carpentry and masonry lies in the second and third row of the manor house although the entire building appears rather simple.

Figure: Taiwan Old Family group visit had a group photo with a Hsiao host architect Hsiao Yihsong at the second court yard facing the third row hall, the centerpiece of historic Hsiao's Manor.

The fourth row is the space for family meeting (公廳) where the clan leader arbitrates important matters and reaches consensus of the entire residents. Two flanking chambers to the central meeting room is where the elder rank of the clan to live in. The final row was one of the last to be built in 1880 as it to provide more space for living for the expanded family members and now it still shares a residential purpose. Part of the fifth row, the left wing, were replaced by 1970's concrete structure housing for the family before the inscription of the heritage status in 1985. 

Figure: Left: The forth row and fifth row of the Hsiao's Manor. Right:The Fifth row now is a still a residential space for the family members.

The entire property still keeps a large and standalone kitchen in the right hand side to the first courtyard as it provides meal for a sizable number of people like in a European castle. The well is still right inside the kitchen s a way to get the fresh water down beneath to prevent water source being bared by outsiders. According to the Taiwan Old family member paying a visit to this manor, this is by far one of the largest living old time kitchen ever identified in Taiwan. 

Figure: The standalone vast room of 19th century kitchen and well provides life supporting and entertainment of the whole clan living within in one block.

Figure: The 19th century laid drainage system lies out of the second to the fourth rows of the houses. The drainage will flow based on the ascending ground from the row one to the last row and allows water flow back to the front of the manor into the moat ditch.  

To support a communal living by a large population, the design of the manor took advantage of the ground level difference, descending to the front, and allowed a drainage system moving into the ditch right in front of the dwelling compound. It is a rate to see such level of drainage system every laid for village size of residential development in the 19th century farming culture before modernization of underground sewage ever introduced by Scottish William Burton invited by Japanese government  when Japan re-innovated Taipei walled city since 1899. 

Aside to the last row of the manor still keeps a 19th century stone walled cage for the domestic pigs of the early days but was abandoned once they developed another large farmland out of the manor property. This row of old houses can be accessed from the gate house which witness the Formosan Republic war against Japan.

Figure: The row of old house is the 19th century cage for domestic pigs for the initial Hsiao's farmhouse within the walled fence which sit opposite of the cages houses across the moat ditch.

At the right hand side to the front row of the Hsiao's Manor stands a derelict and blacken tower building. This is the original site for Hsiao's business for the Dyed-Clothing. The house was built at the time of late 1930's as a local hospital and meeting place to receive from the visiting Japanese officers. The building was designed by an Japanese architect and features in an English Tudor style Parish church with an notable battlement top the tower. It was recently inscribed as a local listed heritage by the Pingtung County and expecting restoration in coming years.

Figure: A distinctive western style house with three story tall house was originally on a former site of horse raising house of the Hsiao's Manor. The building was laid in 1930's is currently in repair.

To the other hand of the front row entrance across the river ditch stands a fine Chinese pagoda, the paper burning incinerator. This tower was almost an identity of most Hahka communities in Taiwan and Hahka people believe the written and painted papers are accompanied by a soul. The incinerator is the place to see them off instead of dumping ground or any burner tin. It stood out right at the gate of the Hsiao's Manor in late 19th century next to the possible Austronesian neighborhood judged from the thatched roof cottage lived by plains tribe. The paper incinerator is the beacon of knowledge by the Hahka group and it serves as important as the Hahka Gods Temple just across the road at the Lord for the Three Mountains which traveled through Hans immigrants three centuries ago when they met the land of openness and upside uncertainty for the future. The paper incinerator is also part of the local heritage listed along with the Hsiao's Manor.

Figure: The area of 19th century Hahka incinerator at the left hand side of the Hsiao Manor entrance row. It was first laid right to the fortress gate which was removed in early 1950s to accommodate the local transportation office and later converted to the grocery market stalls. The Hahka incinerator is a symbol of the Hahka community and all written paper cannot be randomly burnt or thrown unless here. It shows a worship of Knowledge and Civilization by the Hahka communities on this island.  

How to Get There:

The Hsiao's Manor at Jiadong can be easily reached through Taipei High Speed Train and transit at Kaohsiung Choyin(左營) to Taiwan Railway Line stopped at Jiadong(佳冬) Railway Station. Once arrived at the railway station and head north for a 10 minutes walk. Click on the below map of Jiadong village authored by Hsiao's family and more nearby attractions.

Map of Jiadong village, courtesy of Hsiao's Family.

Reference:

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