The ancestral home of the Mei-He Lin Family in Daxi is Longxi County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. In 1804, the first-generation founding ancestor, Lin Bang-xing (1733–1837), crossed the sea to Taiwan. Along with his cousin Lin San-ju, he was entrusted by his nephew Lin Ping-hou (1766–1844) to sell government-monopoly salt in the Xiaoli area (present-day Bade). Lin Bang-xing’s eldest son, Lin Deng-yun (1815–1888; courtesy name Hong-liang, art name Bu-qing, also known as Qi-hai), served as the manager of the Lin Ben Yuan Estate’s rent collection office in Dakekan. In 1869 (the 8th year of the Tongzhi Emperor), he began the construction of "Meihe Shanzhuang" in Touliao, San-ceng, Daxi, Taoyuan—an area close to Cihu and the Touliao Reservoir. To this day, Meihe Shanzhuang stands as a massive courtyard complex consisting of two main halls and five wings. In January 2004, it was designated as a historic building of Taoyuan City (Document No. 0930534224). The site is located at Plot No. 277, Touliao Subsection, Sanceng Section, Daxi District, Taoyuan City, with a registered area of 5,100 square meters.
The ancestral home of the Mei-He Lin Family in Daxi is Longxi County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. In 1804, the first-generation founding ancestor, Lin Bang-xing (1733–1837), crossed the sea to Taiwan. Along with his cousin Lin San-ju, he was entrusted by his nephew Lin Ping-hou (1766–1844) to sell government-monopoly salt in the Xiaoli area (present-day Bade). Lin Bang-xing’s eldest son, Lin Deng-yun (1815–1888; courtesy name Hong-liang, art name Bu-qing, also known as Qi-hai), served as the manager of the Lin Ben Yuan Estate’s rent collection office in Dakekan. In 1869 (the 8th year of the Tongzhi Emperor), he began the construction of "Meihe Shanzhuang" in Touliao, San-ceng, Daxi, Taoyuan—an area close to Cihu and the Touliao Reservoir. To this day, Meihe Shanzhuang stands as a massive courtyard complex consisting of two main halls and five wings. In January 2004, it was designated as a historic building of Taoyuan City (Document No. 0930534224). The site is located at Plot No. 277, Touliao Subsection, Sanceng Section, Daxi District, Taoyuan City, with a registered area of 5,100 square meters.
Meihe Shanzhuang was built in 1869 (the 8th year of the Tongzhi reign, Qing Dynasty) by Lin Deng-yun (courtesy name Hong-liang, art names Bu-qing and Deng-yun, also known as Qi-hai, 1815–1888), and was originally named "Rong Feng Di" (The Gloriously Ennobled Mansion). Lin Deng-yun, whose ancestral roots were in Zhangzhou, Fujian, originally served as the manager of the Lin Ben Yuan family's rent collection office in Dakekan. After the Lin Ben Yuan family relocated to Banqiao, Lin Deng-yun chose to settle in Daxi. He conducted business under the title "General Manager of the Lin Ben Yuan Firm." His family business subsequently flourished, expanding to include mines, rice mills, brickyards, tea plantations, and trading companies, making them a prominent clan in Daxi.
In 1875 (the 1st year of the Guangxu reign), at the age of 61, Lin Deng-yun petitioned the Qing court to purchase the official title of Sub-Prefect (Tongzhi) and was granted the rank of Fifth-Rank Grand Master. He then hung a plaque reading "Rong Feng Di" over the lintel of the front hall. The building's location faced the access routes used by the indigenous Atayal people, presenting security challenges that required strong family unity; therefore, the architecture incorporated highly defensive designs.
In 1923 (the 12th year of the Taishō era), Daxi literatus Zheng Yong-nan renamed the estate "Mei-He Villa." This new name was inspired by the Northern Song dynasty hermit Lin He-jing and his famous allusion of having "plum blossoms for a wife and cranes for children" (Mei Qi He Zi). Lin He-jing (also known as Lin Bu, 967–1028) was a renowned poet and recluse of the Northern Song dynasty who never married nor sought government office. He spent his life planting plum trees and raising cranes at Mount Gu by the West Lake in Hangzhou, earning him that famous moniker.
The Lin family has now spanned seven generations. Notable descendants include former Daxi Township Mayor Lin Hsi-ta, and Chu Lin-kuei, the mother of former Taoyuan County Magistrate Eric Chu (Chu Li-lun). In 2018, the Taoyuan City Department of Cultural Affairs officially registered the establishment of the "Taoyuan City Daxi Lin Family Mei-He Villa Clan Association."
Restoration work on the villa began in 2016, with the first phase completing the restoration of the main hall (Zhengshen). The second and third phases were completed in August 2021, focusing primarily on the left and right protective wings (Hulong).
