Chen Chonghe Memorial Museum Introduction
The Chen Chonghe Memorial Hall, located in Lingya District, was once the residence of the prominent Chen Chonghe family in Kaohsiung. Completed in 1925, this Baroque-style mansion spans 900 ping (approximately 2982 square meters) and is accompanied by a garden of 2700 ping (approximately 8925 square meters). The building is meticulously constructed, elegant, and grand, being the first private Western-style mansion in the Kaohsiung area. The structure is a two-story brick building featuring elaborate Western architectural elements, including arches, columns, corridors, and triangular gables. Internally, it showcases a nine-square grid layout with classical gables, dormer windows, keystones, wooden flooring, window frames, and stone pillars, all of which reflect the traditional Min-Nan architectural style, highlighting its eclectic features. The once magnificent mansion has faded with time, but a foundation established by the Chen family's descendants commissioned the National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Architecture in 1996 to restore it based on historical documents and open it to the public, displaying Chen family artifacts. Strolling through the corridors filled with the splendor of yesteryears, one can appreciate the beauty of the architecture as well as the historical grandeur of the former elite family. Cultural activities nourish the soul, and one can gaze out at the harbor's sunset from the railings, enjoying the vast and beautiful ocean view.
