It is a red brick two story building. The roof, window lattice, and house body are grayish white cement with pebbles. The color design is more warm, splendid and elegant.

•Description of left photo

•On the leftmost is Jiao building.

•On the right side of Jiao building are an oil car room and a grocery store. The roof is completely collapsed. The platform on the roof was used as a place to rest, drink tea, or chat.

•On the left is the main building of western style house, second floor is grayish white pebbles, and first floor is red bricks.

On the second floor roof of the house, Pebbles carving, taichi and flower grass decoration are delicate. The entire design of the building has great artistic value. When it was completed, people in the village were all amazed by it and claimed “there was gold under the foundation.”

After western style house was completed, Wu family still lived in the family house on the front. The main reason is six rooms including living room and bedrooms in western style house, but there was no kitchen or bathroom. Therefore, the life Wu family still centered on the family house. Western style house was mostly for greeting guests.

Between taichi and flower grass decoration is an octagon hole. It shows local craftsman’s skill in combining Chinese and western style.

On “Jiyue” two words, we can still see bullet marks by American army during Second World War

Jiao Building

•On the left side of western style building is a Jiao building with the same height. The design is the same as western style building but simpler.

•Jiao Building is mostly used for defending and protecting the village. However, life in Taiwan back in the day was simpler, not many theft incidents. This building became a temporary residence for children and relatives in the family.

•Under the Jiao building are two long stone benches, a perfect place for passengers or hardworking farmers to take a rest. This is a thoughtful design for the village by Mr. Zhang Wu-You.

•During August 7 flooding in Minguo year 48（1959）, due to its high elevation, residents in the neighborhood all came here to take refuge. Wu family was friendly towards villagers and farmers. They took victims in and accommodated them with foods and rooms, a charitable model.

Color Painting Tile Decoration
In Showa period, color painting tiles were fashionable and expensive building materials. We can find them in the western style house, the lintel of Jiao building or even the stove in family house. From this we can learn about Wu family’s great financial power back then.

Color painting tiles on the wall of western style house

Family house stove

The lintel of Jiao building used color painting tiles

Interview, taking photos to document the glory of western style house

．Our tour guide grandma Wu is the wife of Mrs Shu-Fen’s teacher. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Zhang Wu-You who built the house. Grandma Wu says that the wedding day of his parents was also the day the house completed. It was a very huge and celebrated event!

．The Western Style House has not been repaired for years now. Western style house has not been repaired for years now. The roof between western house and Jiao building is collapsed, and no one lives there. According to grandma Wu, one group of elders suggests donating to the government to renovate, preserve, revitalize and regeneration the building. However, there is also the other group against this idea. They feel donating to the government means giving up the family asset. Therefore, two groups never reach an agreement, so the house is idle there.

．The future of Wu Family Western Style House is either letting it naturally decayed and disappeared or regenerated to its glory day. This is a big task for the government and Wu family clan.

Jiao Building

Wu Family Western Style House