The best time for the International Architecture Expo: July to September is the typhoon season. There will be heavy rainfall in both seasons. You need to bring rain gear when going out. In addition, if a typhoon is forecast, it is best not to go out. , and at this time all ships on the seaside are also stopped and cannot leave the port.
After the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing during the Opium War, Xiamen became one of the "Five Ports for Trade". Western powers flocked to Gulangyu Island to seize the most beautiful places to build villas and mansions. In the 1920s and 1930s, many overseas Chinese returned to their hometowns to start businesses and built many villas and residences on Gulangyu Island. More than 1,000 villas were built in just 15 years. These small and exquisite villas are scattered among the green trees on the hillsides and seaside. They are very quiet and unique. They constitute a beautiful scenery of Gulangyu Island and are also a valuable asset of Gulangyu Island.
The Bagua Tower was built in the 33rd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1907), with a total construction area of ??3,710 square meters and a height of 25.7 meters. The dome is 10 meters high, has 8 ridges, and is placed on an octagonal platform. The top windows are oriented in all directions and 24 directions, so it is called "Bagua Tower" and is a representative of modern architecture in Xiamen. The original owner of the Bagua Building was Lin Heshou, the third bedroom of the Lin family in Banqiao, Taiwan. It was designed by John Yu, a Dutch-American who was the former director of Gulangyu Salvation Hospital. Yu designed this unique antique building that combines Eastern and Western architectural culture by drawing on some classic architectural styles from Palestine, Greece, Italy and China. The red dome is a direct imitation of the stone dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine, the oldest Islamic building in the world; the 82 large columns are based on the large stone pillars of the ancient Greek Temple of Hella built in the 5th century AD; Stone beams and lines can be seen from the Temple of Hephis in the Square of Athens, Greece; the cross-shaped passage originated from Greece and was later used in Roman churches; the Doric and Ionic capital decorations and green underlayments in ancient Greece The bucket stone vase fully demonstrates the classical beauty of combining Chinese and Western styles. In short, the Bagua Tower has exquisite architectural art and has become a landmark building in Xiamen. Now it is Xiamen Museum. Huang Yizhu, a Nan'an gold miner in the middle building of Huangjia Garden, returned to China and settled in Gulangyu in 1919 after making a fortune in the sugar industry in Indonesia. He has invested in Xiamen, Shanghai and other places.
After the north and south buildings of Huangjia Garden were built in 1921, Huang Yizhu determined to build a high-end villa that surpassed all the villas on Gulangyu Island. He demolished the old red brick building of "Zhongdeji" and invited Chinese and foreign engineers to design it carefully. Shanghai Yutai Construction Company undertook the construction of this villa called "Zhonglou", which is now No. 25 Huangyan Road. The middle building pays attention to the European style and uses exquisite materials. The indoor stairs, railings, first floor, front and rear corridors and outdoor steps are all made of Italian planed white jade marble. The doors, windows, furniture, lintels, parapets, ceilings and floors are all made of imported nanmu. Make. The exquisitely carved archaeological shelves, the bronze carved fireplace, and the columns carefully carved by famous craftsmen in the mezzanine all display the classical beauty of combining Chinese and Western styles. It has both the architectural style of Western Europe during the Renaissance and the gorgeous decoration of German aristocratic families in the 18th century. It also incorporates many traditional Chinese decoration techniques. It is a European-style villa that combines Chinese and Western styles. It could be called "the first in China" at the time. According to "Huang Yizhu Biography", the cost of the north and south floors is 70,000 to 80,000 silver dollars, while the middle floor is as high as 290,000 silver dollars, which shows its luxurious style! Haitian Gouzhong Building: Huang Xiuhuoliang, an overseas Chinese living in the Philippines in Jinjiang, built a group of five European-style villas on Fujian Road with his fellow villager Huang Nianyi in the 1920s. The four characters "Haitiangou" (now No. 42, Fujian Road) are written on the upper floor of the main entrance of the building complex. These five villas adopt the traditional symmetrical pattern of Chinese architecture, with the middle building as the main building, spreading to both sides, and a square in the center, forming a large-scale building complex.
The middle building is an antique large-roof palace-style building with double eaves on the top of the mountain. The four corners are raised high. The doors, windows, corridors and halls are all hung with cement openwork hanging flying covers on the lintels. The corners of the eaves are decorated with twining flowers or water-absorbing dragons and sparrows, all of which are decorated with dragon and phoenix ornaments. In particular, there are two caissons decorated under the roof. The walls of the wells are painted with Chinese flower and bird paintings. The shape is quite like a pavilion, which is very prominent. The outer edge of the corridor is decorated with hanging brackets and hanging flower baskets, giving the mezzanine a very ethnic look. Viewed from a distance, this building is quite impressive, steady and refined.
Huang Rongyuantang Villa was built in 1920. It is a large villa mainly in European style. It is currently located at No. 32 Fujian Road.
The designer used the artistic style of Western European architecture and incorporated traditional Chinese concepts to make the villa very beautiful. The whole villa has many large and small corridors, which are made of whole granite, giving it an ancient Roman style, spectacular and beautiful. The front of the large column is set off, the small column is supported around the perimeter, and the facade is scattered and harmonious. The half-moon, curved arc, and straight window lattice design is added with platform hook railings, steel pattern decoration, cement openwork, cross railings, hollow parapets, and spacious courtyards. , pool rockery, pavilions, winding paths in front of the building, cloud walls and piles of plastics, all at well-proportioned heights. The courtyard is lined with bamboo trees and is elegant and quiet. This villa is a harmonious combination of Western, Chinese, classical and modern styles. It is the best among Gulangyu villas! HSBC Mansion In 1876, HSBC Bank chose its location on the top of the cliff of Beacon Hill and built an English-style villa covering an area of ??400 square meters. The foundation piles are driven into the rock and are extremely strong. The structure of the mansion is T-shaped, with corridors on three sides and multiple obtuse angles. When the owner opens the window, he can enjoy a wide-angle view of the distant mountains and sea, and at night, he can have a panoramic view of "Yuandang Fishing Fire". Walking along the corridor, you will be embraced by the beautiful scenery of Xiamen and Guzhou. Standing on the railing at the top of the cliff, looking around, you can see the wind and waves, the eagles, gulls and herons rushing towards you. You have the spirit of looking down upon the sea and the sky! The site selection of Huifeng Mansion is unique and the design is combined with reality. It is a rare architectural work.
The Octagonal Tower: The Octagonal Tower was built in 1915 in Lin's Mansion. It is a French-style building with Southern European style and Baroque charm. It is now No. 15 Lujiao Road. After the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War, the Qing government was forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Shimonoseki and cede Taiwan. Lin Weiyuan, then Taiwan's Minister of Reclamation, took his family to cross over and settle on Gulangyu Island. He first bought a British villa, called it a "building", and then built a "small building" (the "small building" was later burned down due to a fire). In 1915, Lin Shuzhuang built a villa between the large and small buildings, called the "Octagonal Building", and added a corridor to connect the three buildings together, commonly known as "Lin's Mansion" or "Fu Nei". The fifth floor of the Octagonal Building is said to be designed by the French and has a graceful and luxurious shape.
The Octagonal Building is a tower-like building with multiple octagonal facades, hence its name. The main entrance has square pillars and arches, double spiral steps, door lintels and window lintels all decorated with tangled roses and flying white doves, which is quite Baroque style. The octagonal building is simple and rigorous, like a well-dressed lady on the dance floor, with outstanding artistic personality. Yin House was built in 1925 and designed by the owner's eldest son Yin Zuze, with a Western European and French style. It is characterized by the use of local materials. The granite strips quarried on the base are used to build the walls. It is rough and bold. It not only has the personality of the stone town in southern Fujian, but also has the feeling of returning to simplicity during the Renaissance. There are five arches in the inner hall, three connected halls and four bedrooms. There are four sets of sanitary equipment in the whole building, which shows the designer's sense of civilization. The black pine in the courtyard is the same age as the villa and is still strong and tall.
Li Qingquan’s Villa Li Qingquan is an overseas Chinese from Jinjiang who lives in the Philippines. In 1926, he built a three-story villa at the foot of Penang Flag Mountain that combined Chinese and Western styles. It had a large Roman-style column on the front, which was solemn and stable. The courtyard of the villa is paved with multi-colored granite pebbles, forming colorful patterns that make the villa look more beautiful. Rare Araucaria trees and flowers are planted in the courtyard, with a European-style fountain in the center and rockery pavilions, giving the villa a touch of natural warmth. Li Qingquan and his son made their fortune in the wood business, so the villa is decorated with precious wood, and the doors, windows, stairs, etc. are all made of high-grade red nan. He also has two villas on Zhangzhou Road, the nanmu floors and furniture inside are still visible today. Jingua Tower Jingua Tower, now No. 99 Quanzhou Road, is named after the two "gourds" on the roof.
The Jingua Building was built in 1922 and bought as a residence by Huang Cimin, an overseas Chinese in the Philippines in 1924. The building is a villa and Western-style building decorated with traditional Chinese decorative techniques. All beams, columns, eaves, and board corners are decorated with reliefs of flowers, birds, and plants, which has both a local flavor and a Rococo charm. The windows are European style and all have blinds. The interior hall layout is a combination of Chinese and Western styles, with Chinese-style wing rooms and public halls, as well as European-style fireplaces and wide corridors. This method of decorating Western-style buildings with traditional Chinese crafts reflects the local sentiment of Guanghuaqiao, which is also the unique style of Jingua Building. Guancai Building: On the top of Bijia Mountain, there is a European-style villa with a unique style. Because it is shaped like a sedan chair, it is called the "Bride's Sedan". And because you can watch the beautiful sunset from the upper floor, people also call it "Guancai Building". ", now No. 6, Bishan Road.
The Guancai Building was built in 1931. It was designed by Dutch engineers and constructed by Xu Chuncao Construction Company. The shape and decoration of this building are influenced by European Renaissance trends. It is quite beautiful and simple, and combined with many modern architectural techniques, it is novel and smooth. Its roof is very unique, with a dorsal arc shape and divided by ridges. It is both an exterior wall and a parapet. The convex arch windows are embedded in it. It has a strong three-dimensional effect and a very good decorative effect, which is quite Western European style. The door pillars of the Guancai Building are in the shape of twisted ropes, which are novel and unique, with Spanish style. The window lintel is carved from a single piece of stone. It borrows the pavement form of Chinese rural houses and is carved into the face of a European swordsman (musketeer). The technique is simple and artistic, and it also adds to the luxurious style of the villa.
Yangjiayuan Yangjiayuan*** has 4 European-style villas, which were built around 1913. They are now No. 27-29 Guxin Road and No. 4-8 Anhai Road. The "Zhongquan Building" on Guxin Road is the most elegant, and the villas on Anhai Road are the most beautiful. Zhongquan Building is an English-style villa with tall and beautiful grooved columns. The arched windows include semicircular and pointed arches. The sculpture decoration of the window columns and the design of vases are all different for each window, which is quite artistic. Yangjiayuan had a water supply system that could be considered advanced at that time. There are pools on the top and bottom floors of each building to store rainwater. Water wells are dug in the courtyard and equipped with hand-operated water pumps. Different water sources in this water supply system are used for laundry, watering plants, fire fighting, flushing toilets, and groundwater is used for drinking. Lin House: Lin House was built in 1927 and designed by Lin Quancheng, the son of the homeowner. After graduating from the Department of Civil Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lin Quancheng worked as an engineer at the Xiamen Water Company and designed the Shangli Reservoir, the Gulangyu Water Management Building and the Forest House. Linwu is currently located at No. 82 Quanzhou Road.
The forest house is characterized by its facade and roof. The roof uses a Nordic-style sloping roof, which highlights the beauty; the facade is not one-size-fits-all, and highlights the harmony and ease of retracting, coordinating with the roof to form a distinct personality. The forest house stands out among the buildings, looking steady and slender. The homestead of the houseboat-like house is in the shape of a long triangle, and the villa is built on it, like a cabin on the deck of a seagoing ship. Looking down from the third floor, it looks like a seagoing ship about to sail away. It is now No. 48 Guxin Road. The boathouse was built in 1920 and designed by Dutch-American John Yu. He used the shape of the land to design the villa like a ship waiting for sail, which is a unique ingenuity. He used traditional architectural techniques, taking the central axis as the benchmark, spreading it left and right, and achieving strict symmetry. The villa is unpretentious, simple and bright, with ample lighting and good permeability. The floor is made of wide strips of nanmu, and the furniture is mostly made of rosewood and mahogany, which are still intact today. Because the current owner has profound musical attainments, family concerts are often held here.
Yizu Villa was built in the 1920s by Xu Han, a Vietnamese overseas Chinese from Tong'an. It is now No. 9 Bishan Road. This is a European-style building with outstanding personality and strong artistic quality. It has the largest and most beautiful gate tower and stone steps in Gulangyu Island, and its appearance is majestic and tall. The double-arched window cover is smooth and graceful, and quite beautiful. It also has a European-style garden with an octagonal pavilion at a high place and connected by winding paths. It is a place for the owner to relax and enjoy the scenery. The original U.S. Consulate was built in 1930. It is a two-story Roman-style red brick building with a basement and a mezzanine on the roof. It has a beautiful shape and is now No. 26 Sanming Road. The consulate is based on red and white colors. The gable is decorated with five large triangles, which is simple and bright. It also has a viewing rooftop. There is a mezzanine under the rooftop, which is very practical. The Romanesque capital of the consulate's large column is decorated with Corinthian columns and is decorated with exaggerated lily leaves. The leaves are long and neat, holding up the entire building, making it look particularly beautiful. Lin Yutang's former residence: Lin Yutang's former residence is the home of his wife Liao Cuifeng. It is one of the oldest buildings on Gulangyu Island. It was originally a two-story villa. Due to disrepair, the first floor has collapsed and is now No. 44, Zhangzhou Road. The hall and new house where Lin Yutang got married are still there.
Lin Yutang studied in Gulangyu Island and lived here. After getting married, he went to the world from here and became a world cultural celebrity. Catholic Church: The Catholic Church was built in 1917. It is a Gothic building. It is characterized by pointed shapes as far as the eye can see. The hollow decorations of the arches, doors, windows, towers and parapets are all pointed in shape. The indoor ceiling is a colorful blue bead net structure with gorgeous carpets. This is the only Gothic church in Xiamen. Currently located at No. 34, Lujiao Road. The Catholic Diocese of Xiamen currently manages 80 Catholic churches from Longyan to Putian, which is almost half of Fujian.