Jinshan Old Airport Ruins and Li Chi-Feng Ancient Residence Introduction
From the main road Zhongshan Road in Jinshan District, head northwest, and after passing the Huangxi Bridge, you will arrive at Sanjie Bridge. There are two spots nearby where you can briefly stop. One is on the left side of the road at the site of an old airport, which was built during the Japanese colonial period as a small military airfield. It is said that soon after it opened, there was an aircraft accident, and it did not serve much purpose afterward. Today, remnants from that era, three stone rollers used to compact the ground, are still left at the site, where the Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural Foundation has set up a base for display and guided tours. Most of the original airport site has since become farmland and is located within the Chongguang Liugu Flower Agricultural Area, which is the largest supply source of azaleas in the country, with an annual output of millions of plants. Most of the azaleas found in Yangmingshan are transplanted and supplied from here. Additionally, by taking a winding path on the right through the fields, you will find a century-old residence, considered the most magnificent historic house in Jinshan. The owner was once wealthy and influential in northern Taiwan, known as Li Bugong. According to Qing Dynasty regulations, apart from temples and ancestral halls, only officials or families with successful candidates in the imperial examinations could construct houses with decorative ridges. The Li Qifeng Historic Residence may have been built by an official family, which allowed for such a grand and ornate residence; it features a typical Sanheyuan layout with a well-proportioned main house and guardian dragons on either side, exuding a remarkable presence. Notably, the front yard still retains a rare semi-circular feng shui pond, which is uncommon in Taiwan today!
