aeeble

The ancient banyan trees gathered on the north shore of Taihu Lake naturally evoke the image of "Rongyuan" (Banyan Garden). Most of the banyan trees in the garden have been rooted here for decades, with thick aerial roots that have grown for over six decades. Their branches twist and turn in the sky, forming large green canopies that provide a pleasant place for people to take shade. It is a very typical scene in Kinmen to gather here in the afternoon for a game of chess and tea. "Weilu" is a traditional Minnan-style courtyard house located within Rongyuan. Its layout is the most common "one-story four-rooms" style in Kinmen. The location of this old house was once known as "Xihong," which was famous for "less than a hundred people and thirty-six officials in the capital." It was the former residence of Hong Shou, a tutor in the National University during the Ming Dynasty. Hong Shou was very knowledgeable. He once served as a professor in the local and county schools. Many of his students passed the imperial examinations, so he was respectfully called "Master."