Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden

Date CapturedOctober 22nd, 2015 at 08:49 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IIApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length26.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

A sprawling residence and adjoining gardens managed by one of the major families of Japanese colonial Taiwan. The complex is divided into three parts: the upper compound (頂厝), the lower compound (下厝), and Lai Garden (萊園). Many of the structures on site are traditional Minnan-style buildings but there are also some Western-style buildings like Yipu (頤圃).

The Lin family settled here in the mid-19th century and rose to prominence through military service, raising private armies to help the Qing court suppress the Taiping Rebellion and fight in the Sino-French War among other conflicts. Their reward was vast swathes of farmland in central Taiwan and a monopoly on the camphor trade.

Date CapturedFebruary 9th, 2015 at 07:53 UTCCameraNIKON D5200LensAF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G EDApertureƒ / 10Shutter Speed1/400 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO400Exposure Value15.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

The lower compound centers on Gongbaodi (宮保第), the largest surviving Qing dynasty era official residence in Taiwan, named for the posthumous court rank granted to Lin Wencha (林文察) after he died in battle in Fujian. The upper compound, by contrast, became known in the Japanese colonial era as a meeting place for power-brokers, intellectuals, and reformists. Lai Garden, counted among the four great gardens of Qing dynasty era Taiwan, was added in 1893 and now sits within the grounds of Mingdai High School.

The 921 earthquake in 1999 leveled or severely damaged nearly every structure on the property; restoration ran in phases over the following two decades, with the lower compound opening to the public in 2014 and much of the rest by 2019.