The Meinong Hakka Roundhouse Opens: Netizens Say It’s Basically an “Extended Version” of Fu Jen Catholic University’s Zhongmei Hall

▲ The Meinong Hakka Roundhouse has opened, becoming a new tourism highlight in the area. (Photo / Screenshot fromthe Facebook page of the Hakka Roundhouse opening event)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The new landmark in Meinong County’s high-speed rail planned area, the “Hakka Roundhouse,” officially opened on the 25th. This building is modeled after the “Zhencheng Building” of the Fujian Yongding Tulou in mainland China, becoming a new highlight for local tourism. However, some netizens jokingly said it looks like an extended version of Fu Jen Catholic University’s Zhongmei Hall.

▲ Illustration of Fujian Tulou. (The photo shows Tulou in Nanjing County, Fujian. Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

The construction of the Hakka Roundhouse was highly controversial. To build the roundhouse, Meinong County Magistrate Liu Cheng-hung demolished the local “Square Kiln” and “Bagua Kiln,” which had distinctive Hakka architectural features. Several Hakka scholars and legislators issued a call in July last year to “reject the imitation Tulou” and demanded the halt of the construction of the Chinese-style earthen building.

▲ The illuminated Hakka Roundhouse lights up the night sky (Photo / Screenshot fromthe Facebook page of the Hakka Roundhouse opening event).

The completed Hakka Roundhouse features a modern tile exterior that tones down the traditional “earthy” feel of Hakka tulou structures, giving it a contemporary appearance. Inside, facilities with Hakka cultural themes such as the “Hakka Music Hall,” “Hakka Opera Hall,” and “Urban Cultural Exchange Exhibition” have been set up. The goal is to attract 3 million visitors annually and boost Meinong’s tourism and cultural industries.

▲The Meinong Hakka Roundhouse bears some resemblance to the “extended version” of Fu Jen Catholic University’s Zhongmei Hall.(Left image: Zhongmei Hall at Fu Jen Catholic University’s gymnasium, photo taken fromthe Fu Jen website. Right image: The new landmark Hakka Roundhouse in Meinong, photo taken fromthe Facebook page of the Hakka Roundhouse opening event)

Hakka Roundhouse
Location: No. 295, Xin Gang 3rd Road, Xueyi Village, Houlong Township, Miaoli County
Hours: Closed Mondays, 9:00–17:00
Related Website:Miaoli Culture, Tourism, and Travel Network