Li Tengfang’s Ancient Residence is a second-class historical site in Taoyuan. The ancestors of the Li family in Yuemei are from Zhao’an, Fujian Province. Their ancestors came to Taiwan around the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty and moved to Yuemei, Daxi. Tengfang’s father, Li Bingsheng, was engaged in business. Because high-value cash crops such as tea, rice, and camphor in the nearby mountainous areas were all distributed through Daxi. Coupled with the abundant rice production in Yuemei, Li Bingsheng, who started with the rice business, gradually became a wealthy gentleman in Daxi. In 1865, when Tengfang was 52 years old, he went to Fujian to participate in the provincial examination and passed as a juren, holding a pivotal position at that time. The place name of Daxi was therefore changed from ‘Dagu Xian’ to ‘Dake Kan’, and later to ‘Dakou Kan’. Its construction area is quite large. The main building has a scale of two courtyards and four attached houses, with a complete layout. The remarkable part of the Li residence lies in the wood carvings. Not only are there many of them, but the carving craftsmanship is also of high quality. The recessed entrance area in front of the foyer is the facade of this building and also a place where carving art is displayed. Various flowers, plants, birds, and beasts have soft lines and combine delicacy and vigor, with a relatively high artistic level. In addition, Li Tengfang is a juren and is also proficient in calligraphy and painting. Therefore, there are quite a number of calligraphy and paintings and other decorations distributed in the old residence, which is one of the characteristics of the Li residence and is worth careful viewing. Opening hours: Open all year round, Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30 – 17:00.
