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Built in 1880 in the traditional Minnan style, the Xiao Family Ancestral Hall in Chonglan has stood for more than 130 years in Chonglan Village, Pingtung City. From its present appearance one can easily imagine the fabulous wealth once enjoyed by the Xiao clan—at the time a powerful merchant family deeply involved in local affairs. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, the ancestor Xiao Weitian crossed the strait alone. He began as a farmer, then started from scratch trading in sugar; business flourished, fortunes grew, and he became a tycoon. The family grew as prosperous as it was numerous; to keep relatives close, lavish banquets were frequent. A local saying still testifies to their plenty: “The Xiao of Chonglan can go three days without cooking and not go hungry.” The family also gave generously to education. When Pingtung Academy was completed in 1815, the Xiaos funded and promoted its programs so it could operate smoothly. Beside the hall stands the “Keyu-xuan” classroom, where kinsmen took turns teaching the classics; after Retrocession the family donated the space free to the farmers’ association for classes, easing schooling costs for local children. With such affluence, their residence was naturally grand. The hall is pure Minnan architecture—red brick, red tile, timber—lavishly detailed: pendent-flowered carved brackets in the entrance arcade, vivid carp carvings, dragon-grille windows, ridge cut-paste figurines and swallow-tail claywork, book-and-bamboo lattice windows, all displaying exquisite craftsmanship. Amid the Chinese ornament, Western-style apron-wall landscape paintings add a surprising touch. Today the hall is a key cultural asset of Chonglan. To preserve the monument and advance community development, it has been designated the “Ahou Local Culture Hall,” housing a local-history archive and a creative workshop and hosting frequent cultural events, gradually turning the area into a living cultural circle.