Taihe First Family Residence (Eight Houses)

Taihe First Family Residence (Eight Houses)

The "Taihe First Family Residence" is located in Shanche Village, Yexi Group. It is also known as the "Eight Houses" because it consists of eight houses in two rows, all built by one extended family. Constructed during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the Eight Houses have a history of over 180 years. The construction of the Eight Houses spanned nearly twenty years. The overall architectural layout is rational, uniform, and ingeniously designed, resembling a modern well-off demonstration village. Both the interiors and exteriors are exquisitely carved with dragons and phoenixes, exceptionally beautiful, and the houses remain warm in winter and cool in summer, offering comfortable living conditions.

The initiator of the Eight Houses was Yan Jueyu, also known as Yan Songhuang, who had eight sons. To make the family more prosperous, he advocated uniting the families of his eight sons to jointly build and expand their family estate. Although Songhuang passed away before seeing the completion of the Eight Houses, the tailor did not leave much material wealth for his sons. However, he instilled in them a family ethos of hard work and perseverance. As a result, except for the second son who died in childhood, the other seven sons—whether farming at home or trading elsewhere—were diligent and worked tirelessly to realize the vision of building the Eight Houses. They loved and cared for their family, maintained unity among brothers, harmony between sisters-in-law, and the entire family worked together in harmony and happiness.

Shanche Village: Overview of Shanche Village, Qiaotou Town, Taihe County

I. Basic Information

Shanche Village in Qiaotou Town is located in the western part of Taihe County, at the eastern foot of Jinggang Mountain. Both the Jinggang Expressway and National Highway 319 run through the village. The Liuzhi and Liuba rivers, originating from Jinggang Mountain, encircle the village like two jade belts. The village covers a total area of 18.35 square kilometers, governs 12 villager groups, includes 19 natural villages, has 313 households, and a population of 1,373. The cultivated land area is 2,064 mu, and forest land covers 25,000 mu. In 2011, the per capita income was 4,630 yuan. The village has a forest coverage rate of 95%... More detailed information about Shanche Village++