Yilan Chen Family Jianhu Hall

Date Captured

April 29th, 2020 at 09:41 UTC

Camera

NIKON D3100

Lens

AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II

Aperture

ƒ / 8

Shutter Speed

1/250 sec

Focal Length

25.0 mm

ISO

100

Exposure Value

14.0 EV

Download

3600 × 2400

An ancestral hall of a branch of the Chen family, who traced their origins to Zhangpu (漳浦) in Fujian and settled here during the Xianfeng reign. The cousins Chen Xuanzi (陳宣梓) and Chen Xuanshi (陳宣石) built an estate named Jianhutang (鑑湖堂) after a lake near their home village, and the family grew into one of the district’s largest landholders. Much of the compound was destroyed by American bombing aimed at the nearby Yilan South Airfield during World War 2, leaving the main hall that survives as the family shrine today. Stretches of the old defensive walls retain gun-ports (銃孔) and “dog holes” (狗洞) for releasing guard dogs on night patrols.