Built by one man over 15 years alone: Pingtung’s “Stone House” looks like a European castle

▲Exterior of the Stone House homestay.

Reported and photographed by You t
ru / Pingtung

In Yongjing Village, Manzhou Township, Pingtung County, there is a homestay called the “Stone House.” Its exterior resembles a European-style stone castle. In fact, it was built single-handedly by the owner, Liu Xiugui, who spent 15 years stacking each stone by hand to create three sturdy houses of his dreams. It has now become a local specialty homestay that attracts many foreign tourists.


▲The man built it himself over 15 years, little by little.


Located beside lush green grasslands, the “Stone House” homestay differs from those with refined styles. Its rugged, rustic stone exterior carries Liu Xiugui’s dream that has spanned over 20 years. “At first, I just wanted to build a house that was warm in winter and cool in summer, where friends could come to drink tea,” Liu said. Because he believed that stone houses were the sturdiest and most comfortable, and the ideal building material in his mind, he began collecting a large number of stones to build the house.

The original site of the Stone House used to be a shed for cattle and sheep, but all were sold due to low prices, leaving the building vacant. Liu Xiugui, who took over the land and house, decided to build his dream “Stone House” on the original site. Without architectural blueprints and with almost no help from others, Liu relied solely on his imagination of the ideal home and began slowly piecing it together on this ancestral land.


▲It wasn’t supposed to be just another regular house.


Unexpectedly, 15 years flew by as he built the house. Liu recalled starting with laying the foundation in 1990 (the 89th year of the Republic of China), while also collecting “Fenggang stone.” He slowly gathered stones from various places in southern Taiwan until 2015 (the 104th year of the Republic of China) when the house was finally completed. “I started collecting stones when my son was in elementary school, he helped pick them too, until he got to university.” Over 15 years of collecting stones, they were loaded into baskets and then onto trucks, which transported them to the construction site of the Stone House. “I ruined three trucks, picking and building at the same time, until a rough shape gradually emerged.”

During the 15-year construction period, Liu slept on the construction site, setting up a simple mosquito net. He would wake up and build until sunset. Stone by stone, he slowly built the house. Liu joked self-deprecatingly: “The wind and sun have aged me — I’ve even lost some teeth, and I look so old.” Though his tone was tinged with sighs, his expression showed deep satisfaction. Pointing to the “Stone House,” he added with a smile: “In my imagination, the stone house I wanted to build was supposed to look like a castle.”


▲It’s located in a quiet spot and feels really peaceful.


The three completed “Stone Houses” each have their own unique features. Each room can accommodate 2 to 4 people. The interiors match the exterior in their simplicity and unadorned style, with no extra decorations, making them quite comfortable and spacious. On a night staying at the Stone House, you might suddenly hear a knock at the door — it’s Liu Xiugui climbing up the coconut tree in front of the house to pick two coconuts for the guests. In early summer, sipping on coconut water from southern Taiwan brings a uniquely warm yet refreshing summer feeling.

He also picks fresh coconuts from the front yard for guests.


Stone House Homestay
Address: No. 36, Dingjiao Road, Yongjing Village, Manzhou Township, Pingtung County
Phone: 0933385973; (07)7112917
Price: Starting from 2800 TWD, with slight adjustments according to the season