Banyan Garden Introduction
The hundred-year-old banyan trees gathered on the northern shore of Lake Tai create the imagery of "Banyan Garden." Most of the banyan trees in the park have taken root here for decades, with their aerial roots growing robustly, and their branches and leaves winding in the sky, forming expansive green canopies that provide a great place for people to cool off. Meeting here in the afternoon to play chess and drink tea showcases the most authentic daily life scene in Kinmen. The "Wei Lu" is a traditional Minnan-style residence located within the Banyan Garden. Its layout is the most common in Kinmen, known as "one courtyard with four eaves." The ancient house is situated in the past renowned "Xi Hong," famous for having "fewer than a hundred people but thirty-six government officials," and is the former residence of Hong Shou, an associate instructor at the Imperial College during the Ming Dynasty. Hong Shou was well-educated and served as a professor at the state and county schools. Among his students, many excelled in examinations, which led to him being revered as "the Master."
