Dudeng Hall

　　  The Foreign Ship House, also known as Dudeng Hall, was built in the late Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. It is enclosed by high walls with deep ditches on either side. Both the surrounding walls and the main building are constructed in the shape of a ship, following the contours of the land. The “bow” of the ship features a pointed angle, with the tips of the courtyard walls slightly upturned. The garden and the private school within the courtyard do not rise above the wall height and show no significant elevation differences. Only the “Meijia Village School,” which has two stories, protrudes above the wall with its upper floor resembling a “bridge” or control cabin. The midsection of the “ship” consists of multi-story residential buildings and hall structures, which are large in volume, resembling the “passenger cabins.”

　　  The walls around the horse stables and kitchen are built as high, stepped horse-head walls to shield the interior structures. The Fengzi River, originating from the Huangshan Mountain Range, flows swiftly along the deep ditches dug on both sides of the Foreign Ship House. Viewed from above, the Foreign Ship House looks like an “ocean-going vessel” sailing upstream. After enduring over 150 years of wind, rain, and water erosion, this massive and peculiar “foreign ship” continues to “sail” along the Fengzi River.

　　  Exact location: Huangtian Village, Langqiao Town, Jing County