Li Tengfang Mansion features traditional Taiwanese architecture

Fortunately for Daxi, the late generalissimo’s resting place is not the only interesting location around. There is the popular Daxi Old Street (大溪老街) with carefully renovated facades of historical buildings. The street itself houses quite a number of shops — if those are not enough for you, there is also a busy market right next to it. Just a few minutes drive away is Shimen Dam (石門水庫) with several pleasant hiking trails.

One rather less-known attraction is Li Tengfang Mansion (李騰芳古厝), a fine example of traditional Taiwanese architecture. The mansion was built in the 1860s during the Qing Dynasty and carries the name of Li Tengfang, a member of a prominent merchant family and also a successful candidate in provincial exams. Even though the structure carries his name, it was actually built by his father, Li Bingsheng, who also established the family business in Daxi. As his son performed very well in the imperial exams — a prerequisite for a successful career then — he was granted numerous privileges, some of which included architectural features of his residence.

Getting to the mansion is fairly easy. Take a bus from Taoyuan to Daxi, and then you can either take a local bus (NT$10) from the end of Daxi Old Street, or take about a 20 minute walk — first go down a cobbled old staircase to the head of the new bridge, cross the road between a small temple and a gas station and then walk in a direction parallel to the river.

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