Fu Yu Building

Fu Yu Building

Fu Yu Building is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Fu Yu Building is located in the northern part of Hongkeng Village, adjacent to the east bank of the Hongchuan Stream. Constructed in the sixth year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1880), it faces east and covers an area of approximately 4,000 square meters. It follows a traditional three-hall, four-courtyard mansion layout (also known as Wufeng Building). The central axis from east to west consists of: the front courtyard, inner gate, entrance hall, front courtyard, central hall (ancestral hall), rear courtyard, and rear hall. The building is 45 meters wide and 37 meters deep, with the rear facade measuring 41.4 meters wide. The two corners of the rear wall are set back 1.8 meters each, with the recessed sections extending 9 meters deep. The structure includes a total of 166 rooms, 22 halls, 28 staircases, 6 courtyards, 2 side gates, 2 wells, and 6 bathrooms. The main buildings — the front and rear buildings along with the side wings — are all one floor higher than typical Wufeng Buildings, providing enhanced defensive capabilities. The rear building is one step higher than the central hall, while the middle building is two steps higher than the front building. Both the front and rear buildings are made of earth and wood, with lime-plastered walls, and connect to the side wings. The front building has two stories, the rear building has five and a half stories, and the side wings have five stories. The interior features a corridor-style layout with hip-and-gable roofs and a mixed post-and-lintel and beam-raising wooden framework. The ground floor of the rear building houses the kitchen, dining room, and living room; the second floor is used for grain storage; and the floors above are bedrooms. The ground floor of the front building contains the entrance hall and side rooms, while the second floor holds bedrooms. The ground floor of the middle building includes the ancestral hall, side rooms, and passageways, with the second and third floors featuring the Guanyin Hall and bedrooms. The main structure is divided vertically from west to east into a central section and southern and northern sections, each with a separate front gate — the central one being the main gate, and the side ones being ceremonial gates, slightly smaller than the main gate. The main gate on the front of the front building has a granite frame with engraved couplets.

On both sides of the building’s entrance hall are side rooms. At the back of the hall stands a double-panel, three-section partition screen as tall as the first floor, serving both as a central gate and a screen wall. The six movable door panels feature gold-inlaid openwork patterns on their upper halves. Behind the partition screen lies a rectangular courtyard paved with rammed earth. Small doors are located on either side of the partition, connecting to the corridors flanking the central hall’s (ancestral hall’s) front courtyard. These corridors are wider than the others and can be used for banquets. The widened sections each have a small door at the front leading to the side wings. Climbing the two steps behind the corridor leads to the central hall corridor, with doors on either side opening to the side wings. As the ancestral hall, the central hall is constructed of brick and wood, tall and spacious, with its entrance facing the front courtyard and standing over a meter higher than other rooms in the building. It features exquisitely carved beams and painted decorations. A glass plaque hangs on the rear wall; the columns at the back of the hall display a carved wooden couplet in intaglio: “For centuries, virtuous deeds define a household; above all, reading remains the noblest pursuit.” The columns of the side rooms at the front display a finely crafted wooden congratulatory couplet gifted by Lin Zhen, a high-ranking official from the capital, when the building’s owner moved in. On either side of the front edge of the ancestral hall stand two round columns, with the lower sections between each pair adorned with clay sculptures — flowers and plants in the front, and the characters “Fu” (fortune) and “Lu” (prosperity) in the back. The upper parts feature green-glazed lattice screens. The sides of the hall are recessed toward the back, with doors leading to the rear hall on the front and side. The front door is a carved wooden screen door, and the side one is a brick archway, with a courtyard behind the screen door. Flanking the courtyard are two side rooms, each two bays wide and two stories tall. A small door is set into the front side of the brick archway. The rear sides of the hall serve as corridors for the rear side rooms. The back wall of the hall hides a staircase leading to the second floor, which connects to the corridors of the side rooms. The second floor of the middle building houses the Guanyin Hall in the center, raised slightly higher than the corridors of the rear side rooms. Short staircases at the front of each corridor lead through archways into the central Guanyin Hall. The hall is tall and spacious, enshrining a statue of Guanyin, with intricately carved lattice screens on either side of the shrine. The hall’s beams and columns are painted red, and the ceiling center features a large colorful Eight Trigrams design. A platform 1.2 meters high and 1 meter wide is situated at the entrance, bordered by glazed lattice railings. The inner edges of the platform, as well as the columns aligning with those of the ancestral hall below, are also fitted with glazed lattice screens stretching up to the roof beams. Either side of the hall has front and rear sections, accessible via short staircases from the corridor archways. The front section has a door connecting to the platform at the front of the hall, while the second floor of the rear side rooms connects to the rear building. The corridor in front of the rear building forms an enclosed passage between it and the side walls, with a door at each end connecting to the side wings.

The middle building, along with the interior corridors on both sides and the side rooms at the front and rear, divides the interior of the entire building into six courtyards of varying sizes, enriching the spatial layers and enhancing comfort.

The rear building has nine bays, divided into three units of three bays each, with a staircase in each unit located in the larger central bay. On each floor, the area in front of the staircase serves as a hall, while the back is divided into two small rooms. The structure above the second floor is the same as that of the ground floor, with the top half-floor serving as a… The rear building has a well on each side at the front. In the past, the clan leader resided in the rear building as a symbol of prestige. The side wings connected to the front and rear buildings are two stories tall, built of brick and wood, symmetrically arranged, with corridor-style layouts and a mixed post-and-lintel and beam-raising wooden framework. On the outer side of each wing is a row of single-story brick-and-wood structures, arranged symmetrically and parallel to the wings, housing toilets, pigsties, storage rooms, mills, and chicken coops.

The front (main) and middle (main) halls of the building feature gable-and-hip roofs with overhanging eaves, while the rear (main) hall has a flush-gable roof with overhanging eaves. The roofs of the front, middle, and rear halls are divided into three stepped sections, rising progressively from front to back, with steeper slopes than those of other types of earthen buildings, giving them a more majestic appearance.

The wooden floors on the second floor and above throughout the building are paved with relatively thin blue bricks, which are fireproof, soundproof, and prevent sand and dirt from falling from upper floors to lower ones. The ground floors’ halls, courtyards, and corridors are paved with rammed earth, which is durable and remains well-preserved to this day.

All wooden structures on the ground floor along the central axis of the building are painted, and the exterior walls are coated with lime. All double doors and staircase treads are covered with iron plates to enhance security.

The front of the building features an oval-shaped front courtyard paved with cobblestones. The part of the courtyard facing the stream is enclosed by a 2.3-meter-high brick wall, while the rest of the perimeter is built with cobblestone masonry. Adjacent to the building are one storage shed, two mills, four storage rooms, and four toilets.

The main gate is located at the northeast corner and connects to the surrounding wall. Its roof ridge has three stepped sections, with upward-curving finials at the ends and exquisitely carved eaves, giving it an antique charm. The stone-framed gate has intaglio couplets carved on both sides. A smaller gate is also located at the southeast corner. Inside the southern section of the wall is a small two-story courtyard with three rooms and one hall, built of brick and wood, housing a schoolhouse.

Hongkeng Village: Located in the northeastern part of Hukeng Town, about 5 kilometers from the Hukeng town center, Hongkeng Village is one of the key villages of the Fujian (Yongding) Tulou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a renowned tulou folk culture village, a provincial-level garden-style village, and the site of a national 5A-level tourist attraction. The village has been awarded honors such as the Ninth Municipal Civilized Village, Provincial Health Village, Fujian’s Most Beautiful Village, Provincial-Level Civilized Scenic Area, Tenth Provincial Civilized Village, Key Village of the City’s New Rural “427” Construction Project, and “Cross-Strait Exchange Base.” The village covers a total land area of 7,117 mu and has a population of 2,910.

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