Chen Chung-He Memorial Hall Introduction
Located in Lingya District, the Chen Chonghe Memorial Hall was once the residence of the prominent Chen Chonghe family in Kaohsiung. Completed in 1925, this Baroque-style mansion sits on a 900 ping (approximately 2,975 square meters) plot of land, with a garden that stretches across 2,700 ping (approximately 8,925 square meters). The building is meticulously crafted, elegant, and large, constituting the first private Western-style house in the Kaohsiung area. The structure is a two-story brick building featuring refined elements of Western architecture, such as arches, columns, colonnades, and triangular gables on the exterior. The interior follows a nine-square grid design typical of traditional Minnan architecture, featuring classical gables, dormer windows, keystones, inlaid flooring, window frames, and stone columns, showcasing its distinctive blend of Minnan and Western architectural styles. Although the once magnificent first Western-style house has faded with the passage of time, the foundation established by the descendants of the Chen family commissioned the National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Architecture in 1996 to restore it based on historical records and open it to the public, while also displaying artifacts from the Chen family. Strolling through the corridors filled with the charm of yesteryear, visitors can appreciate the beauty of the architecture and the glorious history of a former aristocratic family. Cultural activities available here nourish the soul, and one can gaze at the sunset over the harbor and marvel at the boundless beauty of the ocean from the balustrade.
