Dihua Residence

Dihua Residence

Dihua Residence is located in Xinlian Village, Xiyang Town, Meijiang District, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. Built in 1915, it was constructed by overseas Chinese from Indonesia, Qiu Yixing and Qiu Tianxing. The structure follows a traditional layout of three halls, four wings, and one enclosed wall, oriented west to east with central axis symmetry. The building complex includes main halls, wing rooms, an enclosed wall, a raised platform, courtyards, a gate tower, a front courtyard, auxiliary buildings, and a pond. It has a total width of 58.71 meters, a depth of 73.6 meters, and covers a floor area of 3,450 square meters. The structure is built with rammed earth, topped with gray tiles, and features a wooden and earthen construction style.

The main façade features a rolled-canopy-style gate tower, with the plaque inscribed “Dihua Residence” and the couplet “Flowers and calyxes flourish together, radiant as one” both calligraphed by Lu Gengfu (also known as Lu Fu), a member of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance and the first county magistrate of Meixian. The central hall showcases a raised-beam framework, exquisitely carved wooden screens in gold and wood, and painted book scrolls, all of which are distinctive features. On the left side, facing southwest to northeast, there is a hard-mounted-style gate tower. On the right, connected to the wing rooms and facing south to north, are auxiliary buildings that, together with the enclosing walls and gate tower, form a typical example of Hakka enclosed dragon-house architecture. Its decorations are simple yet elegant, embodying the folk carving aesthetics of Hakka culture. It stands as a quintessential representation of the traditional Hakka “enclosed dragon house” in Meizhou. This residence was designated as a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 2002.

Xinlian Village: Xinlian Village…… More details about Xinlian Village++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units