Hsiao's Historic House

About

Hsiao's Historic House, a Hakka mansion that transcends centuries, offers a rare glimpse into the rich history and architectural heritage of Taiwan. Built in the mid-19th century, this remarkable five-hall mansion is a tribute to the Hsiao family's legacy, whose business acumen in winemaking, cloth dyeing, and rice trading propelled them to prominence and made them the most prominent family in Jiadong. As you enter the mansion through the Baroque-styled gate, the cage-like structure provides both aesthetics and defense, a feature seen in other Hakka homes of Liudui. The layout is symmetrical, with five entrance halls and four inner rafts. These halls bear witness to over a century of history, intertwining with Taiwan’s resistance against Japanese rule in 1895 when it served as a military base. Bullet marks from the anti-Japanese war still scar the structure in this awe-inspiring, living museum. It’s open 9AM to 12PM and 2PM to 5PM daily, except Mondays. Photos by WEI, WAN-CHEN（魏琬臻）, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons