Guanhai Villa

Built in 1918, Guanhai Villa is located at 17 Tianwei Road, Kulangsu Sub-district, Siming District, Xiamen, and used to be the apartment of the manager of Great Northern Telegraph Company. In 1926, the mansion was purchased by Huang Yizhu who renovated it by adding a small parterre, a maze and a sea-observing platform, hence the name "Guanhai Villa". The mansion was once used as a military observation post after 1949. Later, it was taken charge by the province's cadre nursing home and changed into guest rooms. In accordance with the policy for overseas Chinese, the mansion was returned to Huang Chu Tek Tong Company held by Huang Family in 1997. In 2001, the Huang Family rebuilt the mansion following its original look. Located at the Tianwei west cape tip, the base address is at the headland reaching into the sea. The east, west and south face the sea with a broad view, conducive for observing the sea. With a breadth of 60 meters and a depth of 100 meters, the original building is a French-style bungalow building with an underground damp-proof layer. The building is set with an underground damp-proof layer and an arched corridor is installed around it. The building demonstrates a strong sense of rhythm with a certain distance between arches. The arch in the west is installed with willow louver windows and the lines of the parapet wall and eaves are simple and lively. The corridor has a flat roof over it and the bedrooms have a pitched roof. The interior of the building is simple and set with fireplaces. The hip roof is covered with red flat tiles. The building uses Indonesian red wood and the walls were built with concrete mixed with brown sugar. The base covers a large green area with a wharf being built in the west for small vessels to dock. A landing stage extending from south to the sea and a wharf were built after 1949. A sea-observing tower was built in the southeastern corner of the base. It is a small round platform (the construction on the platform was added later). The north of the sea-observing tower is a maze designed for children.