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Cultural Infrastructure Series XIX: Chen Yueji Residence

  • Date:2019-06-11
Cultural Infrastructure Series XIX: Chen Yueji Residence

A symbol of Dalongdong’s Qing-era prosperity


Dalongdong was first settled by the Ketagalan people, with people from Tong'an, Fujian gradually moving in during the early 18th century as Han migration grew and they began settling in the Taipei Basin. The Chen family came along during this time, building a massive residence where generation after generation lived.


Chen Yueji Residence (陳悅記祖宅) is the ancestral home of the Chen clan, who relocated from Tong'an County in Quanzhou, Fujian Province during the imperial Qing Dynasty. Chen Yueji was the name given to the family business, and the associated complex was constructed in 1807. It is built around the pairing of an ancestral hall and a reception hall, fanning out into a four-part complex with left, central, and right wings (referred to as "protective dragons").


Throughout the years, the ancestral hall primarily functioned as a combination of residence and place of worship, while the reception hall was designated for socializing, with an open-space layout perfect for entertaining special guests and holding important ceremonies. It finally received designation as a Class III Historic Site in August 2018, with Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun expressing her gratitude for the generations of talent that came from this home and family.