Huiyang Huilong Lou

Huilong Lou rises from Guanshan Village as a fortress of rammed earth and timber. Built between 1886 and 1889 by the overseas merchant Ye Jianshan, this 6,000-square-meter Hakka walled village faces southwest, anchoring a symmetrical central axis.

Visitors approach across a broad threshing floor, passing a semicircular pond and three pairs of stone bases that once held official flags. The exterior projects absolute defense. Two-story walls, eighty centimeters thick, wrap the compound in an impenetrable shell. Four corner watchtowers pierce the skyline, capped with wok-ear fireproof gables, gourd ornaments, and gray plaster sculptures. Two tiers of gun loopholes puncture the earth walls, offering narrow, calculated views of the surrounding Huiyang District. Inside, the martial severity gives way to domestic artistry. The layout unfolds through three longitudinal sections and three outer doors, organized around the Eighteen Sky Wells system. These open courtyards draw sunlight and rain into the heart of the home. In the central three-entry ancestral hall, traditional column-and-tie wooden structures support the roof. Artisans left their mark on the corbels and beams, carving delicate flowers, birds, and human figures finished in gold paint. Above the main gatehouse, an embedded plaque bears raised characters reading 'Doing good is the greatest joy,' guarded by an expressive dragon sculpture.

This architecture of survival served a profound historical purpose. Ye Jianshan’s youngest son, Ye Feng, transformed his childhood home into a nerve center for the Chinese liberation movement. During the Anti-Japanese War, he commanded the Dongjiang Column from these very rooms. The Huiyang County Committee and the Dongjiang Special Committee used the hidden corridors and thick walls as a secure office and traffic liaison point. Later, the rear Kuixing Pavilion and surrounding halls housed the Dongjiang Revolutionary School. Today, Huilong Lou anchors the local rural corridor as a provincial cultural relic. The kiln-fired tiles and heavy timber beams hold the memory of overseas fortunes, artisan labor, and guerrilla strategy, preserving a definitive chapter of Hakka heritage.