Shekou Lin Residence Introduction
During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the ancestors of the Lin family settled in the Anli Society of Taiwan (now Shengkang District). During the Taipings' Rebellion under the Tongzhi reign, Lin Zhenfang contributed significantly to the Qing military's efforts against the Taipings, receiving from the Qing government the title of "Zhongshu Ke" and an honorary plaque. The Shekou Lin Residence was built during Lin Zhenfang's peak period, originally established by renovating an old residence formerly owned by Wu Zhang. Its initial scale was mostly completed in the first year of the Guangxu period (1875), while the Hulong wing was gradually constructed more than a decade later as the family population increased. The Shekou Lin Residence features a single-story gatehouse with three openings and a simple exterior. Entering the gatehouse and passing through a long corridor leads to the first main hall, which has a simple recessed entrance, and the second main hall also features recessed designs. A corridor is provided for a broader semi-outdoor living space. The courtyard in front of the main hall is paved with tiles arranged in various patterns, with the herringbone pattern being the primary design, symbolizing "prosperity and endless generation." The stone carvings at the Lin Residence are quite exquisite and rare in Qing Dynasty residential architecture. The entrance and main hall feature decorative carvings known as "diniou" (the legs of the reception counter). The central plaque of the entrance hall reads "Da Fu Di," while the wall panels on both sides have beautifully colored and intricately shaped decorations made of Chaozhou pottery, exhibiting diverse styles. The two high walls separating the courtyard from the side yard are mainly constructed of brick with a斗 (dou) method, predominantly using red bricks, with a base made of pebbles and small openings for firearms. In the main hall, there hangs a scroll-shaped plaque above the door lintel, but the text has been lost, and its content remains unknown. The walls feature exquisite hexagonal wooden flower windows, with triangular "corners" containing carvings of bats, symbolizing "blessings." The decorative woodwork at the entrance is whimsically adorned with phrases implying "benevolent support." The altar table and shrine inside the main hall belong to the same era, so their carved styles and themes are similar. The altar table legs are finely carved, although the main hall's Grand Master's chair has been lost. The main hall's framework uses a crossed-beam construction, without the use of cylindrical rafters, and the paintings on the walls reflect the refined style of cultured scholars, with inscriptions from the first year of Guangxu, which are critical evidence for estimating the building's construction date. On the "dou baoh" on both sides of the Hulong wing's framework, crabs are carved, symbolizing the "Second Rank of the Imperial Examination" (as the character 'jia' symbolizes the imperial examination, and the second rank refers to the second level of the imperial examination), implying aspirations for scholarly success. The decorations of the Shekou Lin Residence are also remarkably exquisite, identifiable as works by renowned painters such as Guo Youmei and Guo Tingke from Lukang, whose architectural paintings were primarily found in central Taiwan's residences and temples during the late Qing Dynasty, with few surviving today, making them invaluable pages in Taiwan's art history.
