Visiting Sanxiu Garden, Searching for the Old House Look of Memory

Walking through the alleys of Yiran Village, winding past one low house after another, the Zhang Family Garden, one of the five great gardens of Taiwan, China, hides within this quiet stretch. Locals call the Zhang Family Garden "Sanjianzai" or "Sanxiu Garden." "Sanxiu" is an elegant name for the lingzhi mushroom, and because lingzhi often grew on the trees in the garden in its early days, it took the popular name "Sanxiu Garden." Sanxiu Garden is located in Yiran Village, Dapi Township, Yunlin. The village name "Yiran" was chosen by the old garden owner, Mr. Zhang Zhenxiang. A pastoral poet, Mr. Zhang Zhenxiang was elected the first mayor of Dapi Township after World War II, and during his term, in line with the post-war Nationalist government's policy of adjusting local administrative systems, he merged the two villages of "Jiuzhuang" and "Houbidian" into what is now Yiran Village.

When we face an old space, with what attitude will we regard it? From community building by public agencies, to old houses restored through self-reliance, to the reuse of old public spaces, all are the beginning of establishing a symbiotic mechanism between people and place. We are always searching for the most "appropriate" way to handle old spaces. Perhaps, living in a contemporary era of rapid information flow, we must keep more patience and wait. Root-seeking gives us more of a spiritual replenishment, and the rare chance to return to pure, simple times.

#ZhangFamilyGarden #SanxiuGarden #Sanjianzai #DapiTownshipYiranVillage

Noah Cultural and Creative