Yilan Dengying Academy

Date CapturedApril 29th, 2020 at 09:29 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 7.1Shutter Speed1/200 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value13.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

A private school built by the Chen family (陳氏) next to their ancestral residence in the mid-1800s. It was completely rebuilt in 1863 with brick walls and red tile. It is perhaps most known for tutelage of the young Yang Shifang (楊士芳), a local farmer’s son who later achieved the esteemed rank of jinshi, an exceedingly rare feat among native-born Taiwanese. The academy expanded in 1890 with the addition of Jianmin Hall (鑑民堂), intended for the practice of spirit-writing, and the front altar still enshrines Guangong and other deities. The original structure deteriorated through the 20th century and was replaced in 1962 by the reinforced-concrete building that stands today, which preserves several of the academy’s historic relics.