Jielu Cottage

Jielu Cottage

Jielu Cottage is a cultural relic protection unit of Meizhou City.

Jielu Cottage is located under the ancestral hall in Zili Village, Sanhe Town, Dabu County, Guangdong Province. Built in 1943 by Fan Hanjie, it faces southeast and is situated to the northwest. The two-story building features a free-style courtyard layout with an earthen and wooden structure, a flush gable roof covered with gray tiles, glazed tile ridges and drips, and a herringbone beam frame. It has a total depth of 31.4 meters, a total width of 11.9 meters, and covers an area of 449 square meters. The exterior of the house resembles the bow of a ship, designed in the shape of a steamboat from the 1940s, hence it is also known as the "Steamboat House." The building exhibits Western architectural elements, with a memorial archway-style gate tower at the front, supported by four cement pillars. Two of these pillars form an arched beam in a grid-like structure, each with a large arched door in the middle and a smaller side door. The tops of the pillars feature elegant and delicate gray plaster decorations shaped like gourds. This architecture holds significant historical value for the study of local buildings that blend Chinese and Western styles. Fan Hanjie (1896–1976), a native of Zili Village, Sanhe Town, Dabu County, graduated from the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy. He once served as the commander-in-chief of the 38th Army Group of the Nationalist Government and the chairman of Rehe Province. A famous general in the War of Resistance against Japan, he held the rank of lieutenant general. On October 15, 1948, he was captured by the People's Liberation Army in Jinzhou. After being granted special amnesty, he served as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a member of the Research Committee on Historical Materials of the CPPCC.

In April 2005, Jielu Cottage was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Dabu County.

On March 13, 2020, Jielu Cottage was announced as part of the seventh batch of cultural relic protection units of Meizhou City by the Meizhou Municipal People's Government.

Fan Hanjie (1896.10.29—1976), whose given name was Qidi and courtesy name Hanjie, was from Dabu, Guangdong. He was a lieutenant general in the National Revolutionary Army. Graduating from the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy, he also attended the first class of the Senior Commanders’ Training Program at the Central Military Academy and the German Army University. After graduation, he served in various roles—including staff officer, company commander, battalion commander, and regimental commander—in the First Division of the Guangdong Army under Deng Zhongyuan. In 1926, he became the regimental commander of the 29th Regiment, 10th Division, and later the division commander of the 10th Division of the National Revolutionary Army’s Fourth Army. During the Northern Expedition, he participated in key battles such as the Battle of Ting Siqiao, where warlord Wu Peifu was defeated, and the Battle of Ma Huiling in De’an, Jiangxi, against Sun Chuanfang. … More details about Fan Hanjie ++

Zili Village: Located in the northwestern part of Sanhe Town, Dabu County, Meizhou City, Zili Village governs 45 villager groups, with 1,615 registered households and a population of 4,226. The village spans a total area of 21 square kilometers, including 2,971.5 mu of cultivated land. The average annual temperature is 19°C, with approximately 750 mm of annual rainfall. The climate is characterized by hot and rainy summers, and mild, dry winters. Major cash crops include honey pomelo and rice, while the village’s distinctive economic income comes from tobacco leaves and aquatic products. The total rural economic income of the village in the previous year was 37.34 million yuan. Key development focuses include expanding aquaculture and promoting rice cultivation… More details about Zili Village ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Meizhou City