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Shuitou, also known as Jinshui, is located in the southwest corner of Jincheng Town. It is a multi-surname settlement mainly inhabited by the Huang family. Because of its proximity to Shuitou Port, it was once an important transportation hub between Kinmen and Xiamen. In the past, Shuitou was a very wealthy settlement, with the most and finest Fujian-style buildings and Western-style houses in the entire island. The Yueyue Building, Jinshui Primary School, and the Overseas Chinese Cultural Exhibition Hall are all distinctive buildings in Kinmen. There is a Kinmen proverb, "If there is Shuitou wealth, there is no Shuitou house," meaning that even if you can be as wealthy as the people of Shuitou Village, it is not easy to have a luxurious house like that of Shuitou Village. This reflects the praise that the people of Kinmen have given to the architecture of the Shuitou settlement. In the past, the villagers of Shuitou not only relied on farming and fishing for a living, but also engaged in ship trading. Therefore, the settlement is scattered with traditional Fujian-style old houses and Western-style buildings influenced by overseas styles. Traditional Fujian-style settlements include the Huang Clan Ancestral Hall built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the Huang Ji Old House, and the "Eighteen Beams" at the top boundary (a large traditional Fujian-style house with nine bays and two courtyards). After the mid-Qing Dynasty, many overseas Chinese from Kinmen sent money back to their hometown to build schools (Jinshui School), watchtowers (Yueyue Building), and other Western-style buildings with elaborate designs. Shuitou seems to be like an exhibition hall of historical buildings, and also the most well-preserved traditional large settlement in Kinmen. More about Jinshui Primary School >> More about Yueyue Building >> More about the Overseas Chinese Cultural Exhibition Hall >>