Chiayi Chenghuang Temple Stage

Originally an open-air stage in front of Chiayi Chenghuang Temple, this structure was sponsored by Lin Kuanmin (林寬敏) of Yishun Trading Co. (義順商號) and built in 1922. It doubled as a preaching hall (宣講堂) for moral and civic instruction. Around 1938 the stage was dismantled to free up space in the temple forecourt. Lin’s son Lin Wenzhang (林文章) bought back the original timber components and reassembled them as a private residence on Taidou Street in East District, Chiayi City, completed in 1939 and rededicated as Shimin Hall (時敏堂) in 1962 to honour his father’s philanthropy. The Minnan-style house preserves much of the original stage’s structure and was registered as a historic building in 2009.