Kinmen Travel

  Gulongtou is a single-bloodline settlement where most residents have the surname Li. The Li clan's ancestors had settled here as early as the Yongle Era of the Ming Dynasty. As the area was rich in fish, salt and shellfish as well as a nearby harbor, forests, water supply, and fertile soil, the family prospered and the settlement expanded.

Before the Cih Breakwater and Shuangli Lake breakwater was built, the daily tides often flooded Shuangli Lake all the way up to the northern shore. In the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the local people are often disturbed by the rumbling of the spring tides and the sea sometimes flooded the costal farms as well.

Among the Kinmen people, it was traditional to build a small "Shueiwei Temple" or "Shueiwei Tower" on the shore to ward the residents against water demons. A stone tower was therefore also built by the local people at Gulongtou. The tower's purpose was dual-fold: it was intended to gather water and generate wealth as well as ward against evil and bring good fortune. As it is located at the point between the land and the sea, it was called "Shueiwei" ("Water's End"). Built completely out of stone, the tower had a different design to other Kinmen towers. The base consisted of the foundation, platform and seat while the tower itself had three levels that became smaller towards the top. Each level was separated by tower eaves. The first level and second level were built using three stone labs, while the third level was made up of a 50cm high and 53cm wide square stone block. The four faces were carved with the characters for "Buddha", "Dharma", "Sangha" and "Treasure". The tip of the tower was in a gourd shape.

The tower was constructed in 1767 during the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong and was intended to impose control over the waters. Legend has it that during the early Qing Dynasty, the elders of Gulongtou felt that the sudden rise and drop in fortunes of local businessmen were due to the excessive difference in the tidal level, causing their wealth to come and go just as quickly as the tides. The Shueiwei Tower was therefore built in the bay to not only ward against evil influences from the sea and also retain their wealth. As such, it was a warning to the sons of Gulongtou to not let their hard-earned wealth flow away like the tides.