Jinshan Old Airport Ruins and Li Jifeng Ancient House Introduction
Driving northwest along Zhongshan Road from the urban area of Jinshan, after crossing the Huangxi Bridge, you will find Sanjie Bridge nearby, which features two spots worth a brief stop. One is the remnants of an airport on the left side of the road, where a small military airfield was constructed during the Japanese colonial period. It is said that shortly after it was put into operation, an aircraft accident occurred, and it largely lost its purpose thereafter. Today, there are still three stone rollers used to compact the ground from back then, which have been showcased by the Dharma Drum Foundation with a base and guided tours provided. Most of the original airport site has already turned into farmland, and it is located within the Zhongguang Liugu Flower Agricultural Zone, the largest supply area for Rhododendron in the country, with an annual output of several million plants. Most of the Rhododendron in Yangmingshan is transplanted from here. Additionally, if you take a winding path through the fields on the right, you will find a century-old ancestral house, considered the most magnificent historic residence in Jinshan. The owner was once wealthy and renowned in northern Taiwan, famously known as Li Bugong. According to the Qing Dynasty system, only officials or families who had passed the imperial examination, aside from temples and ancestral halls, were qualified to construct roofs with swallow-tail decorations. This residence, the Li Qifeng Ancestral House, likely belonged to an official family, enabling the construction of such an exquisite and grand dwelling. Its typical three-section layout features a square main house with dragon guardians on both sides, creating an impressive presence. Notably, the front courtyard retains a rare half-moon-shaped fengshui pond, which is uncommon in Taiwan today!
