Chen's Ancient House in Tiankeng Introduction
The Cheng Family Ancient House located in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, is a well-preserved traditional building that showcases the characteristics and cultural atmosphere of Minnan architecture in Tamsui over the past century. The development of the area around Gongsi Tianxi can be traced back to the Dutch era, and the Cheng Family Ancient House is one of the last remaining farmhouses in the region. Surrounded by bamboo reeds and flowing waterways, it is a representative building of the traditional three-section courtyard style of the old agricultural society, fully preserved and witnessing the historical development of Tamsui. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Cheng Yao-shi settled in Taiwan from Jinjiang County and was the founding ancestor of the Tamsui Cheng family. The exact date of the house's construction is uncertain, but according to scholars, it is believed to be before the Sino-French War in 1884. During the Battle of Huwei in the Sino-French War, Qing troops were stationed here to defeat the French forces. The residence is a typical three-section farmhouse, surrounded by bamboo reeds and flowing waterways, representing local traditional agricultural architecture. The five fire storages adopt a double dragon form, with the roof designed in a ridge-like shape, and the walls constructed with locally sourced andesite mixed with earthen bricks. The defense bullet holes in the middle section (to fend off bandits at the time) and the exterior mountain wall with tiled shading (to protect the earthen bricks from rain) are rare among similar buildings in the Tamsui area, fully showcasing the beauty of ancient architecture and the wisdom of previous generations.
