De Xing Ju (Oli Cultural Coffee) Introduction
De Hsing Ju, built in 1926, is a street house in a Western-style building with a Baroque red brick architecture. The column capitals are simplified Greek-style columns, and the intricate decorations incorporate traditional timber elements. The floral and auspicious motifs blend Eastern and Western styles, with a rich variety of colors in the decorative ceramic tiles. The materials used for the facade and interior were quite exquisite, making it unrivaled at the time. Located on Shenkeng Old Street, De Hsing Ju was run by Huang De-long, a descendant of Huang Chong-shu, dealing in groceries and coal mines. It is said that Huang De-long dreamed of Lü Dong-bin while visiting Zhinan Temple, who guided him to Jin Gua Shan to mine for gold, leading him to become a wealthy man on Shenkeng Street. In gratitude, he donated to Zhinan Temple's Fude Temple and Qixing Pond. In 1926, during the first year of the Showa period, he built this three-story Western-style street house known as "De Hsing Ju," which became the most luxurious Western-style building in Shenkeng during the Japanese occupation and currently represents Shenkeng Old Street. This is the legendary story behind De Hsing Ju.
