The Erkan Ancient Residences community is known for its traditional houses constructed with stone bricks and red tiles. Instead of walking on asphalt roads, visitors step on locally sourced basalt stone slabs.
Established during the Qing Dynasty's Xianfeng and Tongzhi reigns, the Erkan Village is home to the most famous Chen family mansion, which is a designated county monument. This mansion, the largest in the county, features exquisite stone carvings, wood carvings, and calligraphy, making it one of the finest residential buildings in the area. It is also the only residence in Erkan that charges an entrance fee for visits. Erkan is one of Taiwan's few preserved traditional settlements and visitors can enjoy various local cultural experiences. The area includes a toy museum, traditional museum and tidal zone museum, where visitors can relive the sweetness of childhood memories while purchasing local "mosquito incense" made from Indian blanket flowers, Chinese mugwort and Taiwan cotton rose. Erkan is not only a historic building site but also one of Taiwan's top 100 historic buildings.
Walking through Erkan, visitors can enjoy the rural scenery and feel as though they've traveled back in time to their childhood hometown. This village, untouched by urbanization and technological distractions, maintains its original character and holds significant cultural and historical value, making it an essential stop for tourists in Penghu.
In 2001, Erkan Village was designated as Taiwan's first Traditional Settlement Conservation Area by the Ministry of the Interior. Over the years, the restoration of ancient houses has been managed by the Erkan Village Settlement Association(二崁村聚落協進會), which has developed various small exhibition halls highlighting local culture, including the Common Life Hall(常民生活館), Tidal Zone Museum(潮間帶館), Community Museum(社區博物館), Herbal Medicine Hall(漢藥館), Toy Museum(童玩館) and Praise Hall(褒歌館).
Recommended Duration of Visit: 1.5 hours

Source: Penghu Travel and Penghu National Scenic Area Administration Court