Xinwu takes its name from a local history rooted in the Fanjiang family. After achieving success in farming and land cultivation in the area, the family went on to build ancestral halls and many new houses. In Hakka, this act was called “qi xin wu”—“building new homes”—and over time, Xinwu became the place name that is still used today.

Beyond leaving its mark on the map, “Fanjiang qi xin wu” also embodies a lasting spirit of enterprise and a collective yearning for a better homeland. Today, although many of Xinwu’s buildings have aged, its rural scenery and traditional Hakka character—preserved through the culture of ponds and irrigation canals—are once again being valued and brought back into focus.

Building on this foundation, the project adopts the guiding vision of “Reframing Memory, Creating Dreams.” By following the traces of everyday life and local character, it reinterprets existing features through creativity, giving new meaning to elements embedded in the environment. Through the new (re-presentation), the old (its value) is brought into sharper relief—stirring emotional connections and extending the symbolic legacy of “qi xin wu.” In doing so, Xinwu is reimagined as a place of life that people long for: an ideal setting where memory, identity, and aspiration continue to unfold.