A Visit to Taianlou: A Glimpse into 18th-Century History

December 09, 2025

A Visit to Taianlou: A Glimpse into 18th-Century History

On a cloudy April afternoon in 2024, I visited Taianlou, a historic structure in Dabu, Meizhou. Constructed in 1764, this sprawling old building covers approximately 1300 square meters and once housed around 200 rooms.

The Formidable Exterior

My exploration began outside, where the building presented a formidable sight. The exterior featured a sturdy brick wall, stone door frames, and a traditional tile roof. A sign on the wall, set against a backdrop of a tree, introduced the Taianlou. The presence of a car parked in front of the stone structure was a small hint of the modern world intruding upon this ancient setting.

The Quiet Courtyard

Entering the main structure, the air was still and cool. I passed through a stone-framed doorway into the central courtyard. Guiding my steps were cobblestones on the ground and a row of red lanterns hanging from the ceiling of the brick building. The silence was momentarily broken by the sight and sound of a boy playing football in a doorway.

Architectural Details and Hidden Spaces

My attention was drawn to the intricate architectural details, starting with a building that featured a wooden door and an affixed couplet. Moving deeper, I observed a brick building with a stone-framed door, further accented by a red couplet. The interplay between the rough stone and brick was compelling.

The structure also held small, intimate, and often spiritual spaces. I discovered a humble small earth god temple on the ground and a well, covered in moss, with a visible water surface within its deep shaft. The walls themselves, with a small window in a wall of rubble and another in a stone wall, silently testified to the passage of time and neglect.

Vistas and Scale

Looking up and out, I captured a view of the traditional layered roof with another part of the building in the background. The transition through a stone-framed door offered a framed vista of the internal complexity and massive scale of the brick structure.

My journey continued to the ancillary parts of the complex, including a small outbuilding with stone-framed doors and striking green moss growing on its roof. The details of the main building, like a brick wall with a stone frame door set on cobblestone ground, remained prominent. My final images, capturing a building with a sign that clearly reads "Taianlou," served as a concluding affirmation of the location's historical significance.

Collectively, the sights I witnessed painted a portrait of a grand, yet aging, structure steeped in history and pervaded by a quiet atmosphere.

Gears & Settings

Gears & Settings	Figures
Camera	Sony A6700
Lens	Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN
Creative Style	FL
Date	21 April 2024
Location	Dabu, Meizhou, Guangdong, China

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Photos

#: 1 | SS: 1/160s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -2.0 | FL35: 75mm | Caption: A brick building with a stone frame door a red couplet on the frame

#: 2 | SS: 1/60s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -2.0 | FL35: 75mm | Caption: A small earth god temple on the ground in the building

#: 3 | SS: 1/40s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -2.0 | FL35: 27mm | Caption: A well in the ground with some moss growing

#: 4 | SS: 1/30s | ISO: 250 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 27mm | Caption: A top view of a deep well with waters

#: 5 | SS: 1/250s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -2.0 | FL35: 27mm | Caption: A view of a roof with a building in the background

#: 6 | SS: 1/250s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -2.0 | FL35: 53mm | Caption: A view of a building with a brick wall, stone door frames, and tile roof

#: 7 | SS: 1/100s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 75mm | Caption: A building with a wooden door and a couplet on it

#: 8 | SS: 1/80s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 75mm | Caption: A small building with stone frame doors and green moss on the roof

#: 9 | SS: 1/160s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -1.7 | FL35: 27mm | Caption: A row of red lanterns hanging from the ceiling and cobblestones on the ground

#: 10 | SS: 1/50s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -1.7 | FL35: 52mm | Caption: A brick wall with a stone frame door and cobblestone ground

#: 11 | SS: 1/40s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -1.7 | FL35: 53mm | Caption: A view of a brick building from a stone frame door

#: 12 | SS: 1/160s | ISO: 100 | F: 2.8 | +/-: -2.3 | FL35: 53mm | Caption: A row of red lanterns hanging from a brick building and lots of cobblestones on the ground