Visiting the Zhuang Family Old House in Gupoliao, Dashu, Kaohsiung: Notes from a Local Journey

In the simple, unspoiled Gushan Village of Dashu District, surrounded by mountain forest on Gupoliao Ding, a gentle, elegantly rustic old house has quietly stood watch for many years. Along with its winding mountain roads and the scent of pineapple and lychee, walk the footsteps once trodden by the early settlers and explore this extraordinary old house.

It is said that during the Qing dynasty, the paternal aunt (gupo) of a Fengshan County magistrate lived in this place, and the local residents took "Gupoliao" as the name for the area, making it the earliest-developed village in Dashu Township. The Zhuang clan got their start by growing pineapple, and it was their spirit of diligence and thrift that later brought them prosperity. The Zhuang Qingbiao brothers then began building the great house, hiring craftsmen from Tangshan; apart from sand and stone, almost all the building materials were shipped over from Fujian, and it took several years to finally complete this beautiful residence.

Postscript:
When I set out for the Zhuang Family Old House, I went by bicycle, and the undulating mountain road was really a bit exhausting, but once I reached my destination, all the fatigue melted away. Bathed in the warm sunlight, the old house was simply beautiful. Outwardly an ordinary-looking residence, it holds the wisdom of traditional Han Chinese architecture, and I lingered without even noticing that the sun was about to set. My special thanks to the residents living beside the old house, who let me go up to the balcony to take photographs, allowing me to see from above the beauty of the "seven wrappings and three" layout.