Shekout Lin Residence Introduction
During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the ancestors of the Lin family settled in the A-Li community in Taiwan (now Shenkang District). During the Tongzhi period, in the context of the Dai Chaochun Incident, Lin Zhenfang contributed significantly to suppressing Dai Chaochun by the Qing army, and the Qing court awarded him the title "Zhongshu Ke" along with a plaque. The Shekout Lin Residence was built during Lin Zhenfang's prosperous time, originally purchasing and renovating the old Wu-Zhang residence. The initial construction was largely completed in the first year of the Guangxu era (1875), while the Hulong side rooms were gradually added years later as the family grew. The entrance gate of the Shekout Lin Residence is a one-story structure with a facade of three openings, featuring a simple design. Upon entering the gate and passing through a long corridor, one arrives at the first entrance hall, which has a simple recessed dual longevity style. The main hall also has a recessed dual longevity style, with a covered corridor in front providing a broader semi-outdoor living space. The courtyard in front of the main hall is paved with tiles arranged in intricate patterns, with the herringbone pattern being the main motif, symbolizing "prosperous descendants and endless life." The stone carvings at the Lin Residence are remarkably exquisite and quite rare in Qing Dynasty residential architecture. Both the entrance hall and main hall feature decorative elements of "Diniu" (cabinet feet). The central plaque of the entrance hall reads "Da Fu Di," and the walls on both sides feature colorful and delicately shaped Chaozhou pottery decorations with varying designs. The two high walls separating the courtyard from the side yard are mainly constructed from dou-brick, predominantly red bricks, with pebble foundations and small openings for firearms. In the main hall, a scroll-shaped plaque hangs from the lintel, but the text has been lost, rendering its content unknown. On the walls are finely crafted hexagonal wooden flower windows, with triangular "corner decorations" at each corner, carving four bats symbolizing "blessings." The wooden decoration at the entrance features amusing patterns, illustrated by "Han Fan carrying the big beam." The altar table and spirit shrine in the main hall belong to the same period, thus sharing similar carving styles and themes. The table feet are intricately carved, but the grand master chairs in the main hall have been lost. The roof structure of the main hall is of the dou-gou style and does not use straw tubes, while the paintings on the left and right walls showcase elegant scholar black ink styles, with signatures dating back to the first year of Guangxu, which is significant evidence for estimating the construction period of the Lin Residence. On the top of the "Dou Bao" on the roof frames of the left and right Hulong side rooms, crabs are carved, symbolizing the "Er Jia Chuan Li" (where 'Jia' symbolizes the imperial examination, and the second level of the imperial examination was called "Er Jia"), indicating aspirations for academic success. The decoration of the Shekout Lin Residence is also quite exquisite, identifiable by their distinct painting techniques as works of renowned painters such as Guo Youmei and Guo Tingke from Lugang. Their architectural paintings are mostly found in residential buildings and temples in central Taiwan from the late Qing period, of which few remain today, holding significant importance in Taiwan's art history.
