Cheng's Ancestral House in Tienxi, Gongshi Introduction
The Cheng Residence in Gongsi Tianxi, located in the Tamsui District of New Taipei City, is a well-preserved historical traditional building that showcases the characteristics and cultural atmosphere of Minnan architecture in Tamsui over the past century. The development of the Gongsi Tianxi area can be traced back to the Dutch colonial period, and the Cheng Residence is one of the few remaining agricultural houses in the region, surrounded by bamboo and reed, with flowing water nearby. It is a representative architectural form of the traditional agricultural society known as a "Sanheyuan" (three-sided courtyard), fully preserved, witnessing the historical development of the Tamsui area. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Cheng Yao-shi settled in Taiwan from Jinjiang County, becoming the ancestral founder of the Cheng family’s colonial enterprise in Tamsui. The exact construction date of the residence is uncertain, but scholars believe it predates the Qing-French War in 1884. During the Battle of Huwei in the Qing-French War, Qing troops were stationed here to confront French forces successfully. The residence is a typical Sanheyuan farmhouse, surrounded by bamboo and flowing water, exemplifying local traditional agricultural architecture. The building features five fire warehouses in a double-dragon style architecture, with a crown roof resembling a horse's back. The walls are constructed using locally abundant andesite and earthen bricks, with defensive gun holes on the main façade (to fend off bandits) and outer mountain walls with tiled overhangs (to protect the earthen bricks from rain). Such features are rare among similar buildings in the Tamsui area, fully showcasing the beauty of ancient architecture and the wisdom of our ancestors.
