Houao Village [后澳村] on Beigan [北竿] shows off some of the traditional buildings found in Matsu. Most of the houses are constructed of granite, since they are upright and foursquare they look like stamps, so they are sometimes referred to as “one-stamp” buildings.
Roof tiles are secured by placing stones on the top. Not sealing the tiles helps keep houses well-ventilated and is convenient to repair… if a tile is broken, simply lift up the stone and replace it.
Houao Village is absolutely charming with its mix of maintained homes which are still in use and homes that have begun to be claimed by nature.
In its heyday, during stormy weather Houao’s harbor was used by fishing boats to escape the rough seas.
Of course, we are out to take nice photos and I dress-up in a t-shirt with a Killer whale and the text “Save the Humans” on it…
Due to the presence of pirates during Matsu’s early stages of settlement, windows are usually small and placed high.
At my current rate of posting I should be done by about early next week.
