Aichun Tower

Aichun Tower

Aichun Tower is located in Tongpa Village, Songkou Town, Meixian District. It was the former residence of Xie Yiqiao. Built in the late Qing Dynasty, the building faces southeast and sits northwest. It is a two-story brick-and-wood structure combining Chinese and Western architectural styles, featuring an outer gate courtyard, built against the hillside, with a total area of 1,200 square meters and a built-up area of 1,500 square meters. The main body of the building faces west to east, with a hip-and-gable style gatehouse and pavilion. The gables on both sides feature flush gable roofs. The layout is symmetrical along a central axis, with three halls — upper, middle, and lower — arranged along the axis. The middle hall has courtyards above and below, with stone staircases on both sides. There are 18 rooms on the ground floor, and 36 rooms in total when including those on the second floor. The corridors and halls are decorated primarily with folk crafts, including carved wooden screens adorned with auspicious and prosperous motifs. The walls are made of compacted lime-soil mixture, with wooden roof trusses and gray tile roofing. The ground-floor corridor pillars are square granite columns.

Aichun Tower served as a gathering and activity hub for local Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance) members during the Republican era. In 1910, a Tongmenghui members’ meeting was held here; in May 1918, Sun Yat-sen stayed here during his inspection tour of eastern Guangdong and inscribed two couplets: “Universal love stems from my nature; this home embodies the spirit of spring.” and “Loving the country and its people, the fine offspring like jade trees and fragrant orchids; with spring breeze and rain, the red towers and painted halls feel like home.”

Biography of Xie Yiqiao (see Section 2, Chapter 5, entry “Tomb of Xie Yiqiao”)

In 1987, the Meizhou Municipal People’s Government designated it as a cultural relics protection unit.

Xie Yiqiao (1874–1926), originally named Xiyuan; Xie Liangmu (1884–1931), originally named Junyuan, courtesy name Shuye, were natives of Jiaying Prefecture (now Meixian District), Guangdong. They were brothers, with Xie Yiqiao being the eldest and Xie Liangmu the third. Their grandfather, Xie Gaiqing, and uncle, Xie Mengchi (originally named Chunseng), were wealthy overseas Chinese merchants in Penang, Malaysia. Their father, Xie Kejie (also known as Shuyu), stayed at home to care for his parents and raise his children.

In adulthood, Xie Yiqiao, dismayed by the corrupt politics and territorial losses of the Qing court, became committed to the democratic revolution. In the 26th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1900), when he... [More details about Xie Yiqiao++]

Tongpa Village: Tongpa Village... [More details about Tongpa Village++]