Liangmei Tower in Taohe Town

Liangmei Tower in Taohe Town

In Gangkou Village, Taohe Town, Haifeng County, there is an ancient residence commonly referred to by locals as “Lounei.” This historic building is entirely enclosed by courtyard walls, faces south, and covers an area of 2,363 square meters. The front is 38.94 meters wide and it stretches 60.7 meters from north to south. Inside, there are 60 rooms of various sizes, 4 halls, and 9 courtyards. The entire residential complex has one front gate and two rear gates on either side for entry and exit.

It is understood that this residence was built around 1761–1771. Having withstood over 200 years of weathering, it was fully restored in 2003 by descendants of the Wu family, who funded the project to return it to its original appearance.

The entire ancient residence is symmetrical along its central axis, with living quarters, halls, and courtyards laid out in an orderly and rational fashion. Locals commonly refer to this type of architectural structure as a “four-wheeled cart.” From above, the four gun cabinets resemble four wheels, and from the side, the building looks like a cat stretching—designs that still hold considerable research value today.

The tower was designed not only with livability in mind but also with aesthetics. There are no windows in the entire building, but nine courtyards are built inside, the largest of which covers 300 square meters in the center. This allows ample sunlight, bright interiors, gentle breezes, and a comfortable climate that remains warm in winter and cool in summer.

At the time, to guard against theft, robbery, and factional fighting, the architects of this ancient residence took security into full consideration during the design phase. The entire complex has only three gates, and each of the four corner towers is equipped with gunports for defense—making it easy to defend but hard to attack. Defensive features were also cleverly integrated into the gate designs.　

Inside this ancient residence, we also discovered a wooden bed that is the same age as the building itself. It was once used by the original owner of the house. The overall frame of the bed remains intact and the structure is sturdy. The design of the bed combines beauty with practicality, reflecting the wealth and comfort of life enjoyed by the ancestors of the Wu family.