A journey back in time at Lin Family Garden in Wufeng

Tracing a century's worth of elegance

Words and translation by Holmes Chang
The content is developed jointly by Industrial Development & Investment Promotion
Committee of Taichung City, FM 89.1 Sunny Radio and Compass Magazine.

New historical style and features
Lin Family Garden, located in Wufeng district, has seen a showcase of deep local history and outstanding talent, not to mention a historic treasure from one of Taichung's five big families, since it was completed in 1893. Thanks to the great size of the Lin family clan, this site can be divided into three sections--the Laiyuan (萊園), Upper (頂厝) and Lower (下厝) houses. Back during the mid-Qing dynasty era, Lin Family Garden was built to reflect many architectural styles, going as far as introducing new Eastern as well as Western concepts.

Following serious damage to this complex during the 921 Earthquake, work began to restore structures with the goal of highlighting the 1905 combination of East-meets-West architectural styles. Fortunately, financial support from the Executive Yuan's 921 Reconstruction Committee, Taichung City Cultural Bureau and Lin Family Residence means that parts of the mansion and garden have now been restored to original condition, including the Laiyuan's Five-Cassia Tower, Upper House's Tower of Prospective Fragrance, and Lower House's Large Flower Hall. Consequently this complex once again showcases cultural events, attractive scenery, positive environmental planning, and profound and distinctive cultural heritage.

Five-Cassia Tower
Walk through Ming Tai High School's main gate and head to the Laiyuan entrance, where you will encounter the most representative building--the Five-Cassia Tower--where Liang Qichao (梁啟超) (a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher and reformist who lived during the late Qing dynasty and early Republican China era) stayed to discuss important affairs. Rebuilt in 1906, it was named after the five cassia trees in front of its gate. Opposite the tower, a bridge connects to the Lychee Isle (荔枝島), traversing a pool and linking to an extraordinary center stage--the Flying Goblet Drunken Moon Pavilion (飛觴醉月亭)--allowing Madame Luo (Lin Wenqin's mother) to enjoy dramatic performances from the second floor of the tower. As you take a walk on the garden's pathways, pause for a moment and you'll feel the cultural ambiance and landscape merging with each other.

Collections of the Lin Hsien Tang Memorial
In the buildings surrounding Laiyuan, you can view the collections of Lin Hsien Tang (林獻堂), which are representative of non-violent anti-Japanese right-wing parties during Japanese colonial rule. The collection includes not only generations of family cultural relics and information, antique furniture and traditional clothing, but also Lin's writings and calligraphy, recorded histories, and paintings and poetry by the Oak Tree Poetry Society (櫟社諸賢). All this thoroughly conveys the ancestral background and earlier lifestyles here. Through pictures on the wall, you can easily feel the local passions of earlier times with nostalgia, revealing Lin's ambition to explore as well as defend the countryside. At the same time, the details captured and atmosphere created in this series of displays exudes a simple and serene quality.

Tower of Prospective Fragrance Building Cluster
Completed in 1899, the Upper House's Tower of Prospective Fragrance building cluster was Lin Hsien Tang's former residence. Before entering the gateway, you can clearly distinguish the vivid red bricks with green on them in this retro-style construction, with the charming tower creating a serene atmosphere and expressing a hundred years of vicissitudes. The grand, stately patterns of its courtyard and artistic carvings give visitors strolling along its footpaths the sense of a strong elegant simplicity and irresistible harmony.

Hall of Large Flowers
The Hall of Large Flowers was constructed in the style of a Fuzhou drama stage, featuring a compound with sophisticated wooden buildings placed around a square courtyard. The round openings on two sides lead to a magnificent center stage. Construction here took place from 1890 to 1894, integrating an exquisite theatrical stage with outdoor seating. One of the most eye-catching features observed here is a blooming lotus overhead at the top of the roofline.

Lin Family Mansion and Garden is undoubtedly a historic treasure left by an earlier generation and today serves as a place where people can truly understand the heritage and history of Taiwan. Towards this goal, Ming Tai High School and Lin Family Garden guided-tour services, which can be arranged in advance, are dedicating to preserving and promoting the history of this site and assisting visitors. It is hoped that provided information will provide a basic understanding of the Lin Family Mansion and Garden and help the tourists to gain a respect and appreciation for this historical, beautiful monument while enjoying the valuable cultural heritage found here.