Main Hall of the Li Family Residence (Zhongzhuang, Huatan)

The Li Family Residence in Zhongzhuang, Huatan, was built by their ancestor Li Shang-bo (from the third branch) and is a traditional three-sided courtyard house. The main hall of the Li Residence largely retains its original appearance in terms of its wooden framework and painted decorations, possessing significant artistic value. The main hall enshrines deities and ancestral tablets, serving as the family's ancestral worship place. The main hall consists of three bays, with the main entrance featuring six door panels that can be fully opened during ancestral worship, facilitating easy entry and exit. The main hall utilizes a chuandou (post-and-lintel) style timber frame, while the Bagua-shaped windows in the side wings are believed to ward off evil and bring good fortune. The painted decorations on the lintel above the main hall's entrance and the Bagua windows, depicting "The Eight Immortals," "Recruiting Sages at Weishui," and "Shun Plowing at Mount Li," are severely damaged due to their age. In 1999, the 921 Earthquake caused damage to the Li Residence, with the gate tower and courtyard walls completely collapsing, and the roof tiles becoming displaced and broken. It was further devastated by a typhoon in 2001, and currently, only the main hall remains relatively intact. On April 10, 2002, the main hall of the Li Residence was registered as a historic building. The two side wings, known as 'hulong,' were reconstructed using reinforced concrete, replicating the original architectural style. Source: Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau.