Roof

Old houses in Matsu usually had peaked roofs with single ridge atop two inclines, four ridges and four inclines or five ridges and four inclines. People built it brick, by brick, tile by tile. Most common form is single ridge atop two inclines. As for the form of five ridges and four inclines, it was mixed with western architecture and local Matsu architecture after having trade in the five ports in the late Qing Dynasty.

The side wall of houses with two inclines called gable. In Matsu, there are some gables built higher than roofs. It is because the raised gable can prevent the spread of fire from neighbors. It is called "Feng Huo Shan Qiang (封火山牆)", which is common on temples. These included brightly colored, flame-shaped raised gables, as well as relatively modest and simple ones.

Roof tiles and rainwater head

On the roof, there are stones placed on the top of the tiles, which avoid them lifting by the strong wind. In many cases, building materials distinguish family wealth and social status in the early time. The stones of the wealthy are usually neat and smooth. As for the most ordinary people, they just took random ones. There are usually rainwater heads on the roof, it is for draining water swimmingly when raining, and they are fish or dragon in shape. In general, the shape of rainwater head in rich family is usually dragon, and for ordinary people it is fish in shape. As to the poor, they don't have rainwater head on their roof.

Resource : Yamamoto Legion

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