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Lin’s Family Mansion and Garden. Photo by Hsin Ju HSU.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about The Lin Family Mansion and Garden

If you enjoy history, architecture, or beautiful gardens, we have some exciting news for you. A short distance from Taipei is Taiwan’s best-preserved traditional home. The Lin Family Mansion, located in Banqiao. It is surprisingly easy to get to from the city — just take the blue line to Fuzhong MRT Station and then walk for about ten minutes — and it’s well worth the effort. It is well-deserved of its title as one of Taiwan’s “four great gardens,” with an impressive 4.9 acres of pristine mansions and gardens.

The Lin Ben Yuan Family Mansion and Garden was a residence built by the Lin Ben Yuan family. Back in 1847 it was a “rent house” for the Lin Ben Yuan family in the north. It was later expanded by the brothers Lin Guohua and Lin Guofang, becoming the Lin Ben Yuan family’s residence. It’s currently under the protection and restoration of the Executive Yuan Cultural Construction Committee, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transportation and Communications Tourism Bureau, Taiwan Provincial Government, and New Taipei City Government. They have also designated it as a Class-2 Historical Site.

The Lin Family Mansion and Garden spans approximately 20,000 square meters (4.9 acres). The garden is also known as the Banqiao Lin Family Garden. The Lin Family Sacrificial Trade Association owns the Three-Courtyard Mansion to the west of the garden. To enter the interior of the mansion, a tour guide is required.

1. Lin Yingyin’s son bought the family’s mansion 

Lin Yingyin, an ancestor of the Lin Ben Yuan family, arrived in Taiwan in 1778. He initially settled in the Xinzhuang area. Following that, his son Lin Pinghou sold rice to make a living.

He was able to make a fortune, acquire a large amount of arable land, and establish the future Lin Ben Yuan family fortune as a result of this.

2. The Lin family used to collect rent at the mansion 

A view of the great pond. Photo by 弟魯.

The Lin Family used to collect rents and crops at the century-old Lin Family Mansion and Garden. It was later expanded by brothers Guo-Hua and Guo-Fang Lin. This structure had a surface area of about 150 ping (500 square meters). A quadrangular courtyard, sporting pavilions on the front and back. It served as a rent crop collection center.

3. The building was named after Mao Zijin

The building was named after Mao Zijin. He was a famous 17th-century book collector who wrote under the pen name Jiguge. There had previously been several thousand scrolls of books within their collection here. There was no shortage of good volumes from the Song and Yuan dynasties. It served as a study for the Lin family’s boys.

4. The Lin family mansion and garden has a beautiful scenery

The Lin Family Mansion and Garden. Photo by lienyuan lee.

Stepping into the 5 acre property, which is set behind a wall, is like stepping into a time machine that transports you back a hundred or so years. The buildings and gardens are all in excellent condition. It has many doors, corridors, and paths leading to even more beautiful areas.

The largest and most impressive of the three ponds is the Banyan Shade Pond at the front of the property. It has paths and bridges winding around it and turtles, ducks, and carp enjoying the peace.

The roots of the trees have become entwined with the walls and rocks on the property over the years. It gives an ethereal and other-worldly feeling as you walk around.

5. A rain pavilion stands in the foreground

A rain-pavilion with an unusual construction stands in the foreground. It is a three jian  pavilion that is partitioned in both front and back and has lattice doors for easy entry and exit.

It was converted into a study, and its window styles are relatively simple and tasteful. Flower pots are arranged in the front courtyard. They contain rare and exotic flora, adding to the ancient feel of Lin Family Garden with a visual feast.

6. The Lin family mansion and garden has a stage

The Lin Family Mansion and Garden-stage. Photo by Mk2010.

A theatrical stage stands in front of the building. There’s a horizontal inscription that reads, “Open the windows with a smile.” The Lin Family Garden invited an operatic troupe to entertain their guests that year.

However, because the audience consisted of guests rather than family members, there were not many people in attendance. The stage is not particularly large. It used to be a place where guests could be entertained. Nowadays, it’s a popular location for soap operas and wedding photos.

7. The Lin family mansion and garden is divided into three 

Three-house Courtyard (Lin Family Mansion and Garden). Photo by Taiwankengo.

The mansion is divided into three sections: the upper house, the lower house, and the Laiyuan (Lin Family Gardens). The upper and lower houses are not only distinct parts of the mansion. They represent the two branches of the Lin Family of Wufeng. The upper and lower houses cover 11,000 square meters and have a one-kilometer perimeter.

8. The mansion is only visited with a reservation

To visit the mansion, you must participate in a guided tour. Tours begin every hour at the ticketing and information kiosk in front of Gong-Bao-Di. Currently, only the Great Flower Hall and Gong-Bao-Di are open to the public.

Guided tours in Chinese are available at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. (Tuesday through Friday). Tours  in English or Japanese must be reserved in advance.

Bring your camera because the grounds are very photogenic. There is no outside food or drink permitted on the premises. Wheelchairs and strollers are not permitted on the grounds.

Both houses are located in the Lower House section. Members of the Lin Family continue to live in the rest of the ancestral residence. 

9. There is a “moon tide water pavilion”

Half moon pond. Photo by lienyuan lee.

A xie is a structure built along the water. The exterior of this structure is shaped like a double-caltrop. It is connected to the shore by a small bridge because it extends from the surface of the water. The roof has a platform from which people can observe the moon. The pavilion is called “Moon Tide Water Pavilion” because the moon reflects in the water.

10. The Lin family mansion was damaged by an earthquake

The Lin Family Mansion was severely damaged by the 921 Earthquake that struck Central Taiwan on September 21st, 1999. The complex was restored with the help of the government, scholars, and the Lin family.

Most of the structures seen today are shiny new replicas of the originals, but they are still very attractive.