Good Morning
Welcome to General Sun Li-Jen Residence. I’ll be your guide for this 30-minute tour.
First, let me give you some background information about this historical site.When the Japanese ruled Taiwan, so many soldiers suffered from digestive problems. Some of them even needed to be sent back to Japan for curing. Sothe government indicated the Civil department to organize the Water Supply System as soon as possible. Here was the residence of the head of the Water Supply department. The building was built in 1907.
You might feel confused about the style of the architecture. This building is a fusion of Western and Japanese styles. The public area like offices and living rooms are Western style to show off their architectural techniques. As for private places like bedrooms or dining rooms, they still preferred the Japanese style.
General Sun moved into this residence around 1947. After 1956, the place renamed as The Army Officers Club. In 2004, the Bureau of Cultural Heritage enlisted this Century-old building as a historical architecture. Artgo Culture and Creative Co. started to manage this place in 2017 till now.
Living room
You are our honorable guests, so I'd like to show you the living room first.
General Sun used to entertain his quests and friends here. There are two black and white photos on the wall showing that he did live here for a period of time. The lady beside the General is his second wife. His first wife didn't come to Taiwan with him. The second wife was a good helper for his career and family. As an old saying goes "There are three kinds of unfilial piety, no offspring is the greatest." So, the second wife got General's permission. She found a fair lady from housekeeping staff to be the third wife. The third wife had borne four kids.
Fireplace is common and essential in western style living room. It is the entrance that Santa comes over on Christmas Eve, right? But fireplace is used to heat the room. Winters in Taiwan are short and not very cold. Guess what? General had a creative usage about the fireplace. Do you know the answer? Sometimes General had meeting with military officers. Some confidential documents needed to be destroyed. All he needed to do was light a match and burned them. So, this is the "Ancient Paper shredder"
Personal Introduction
General Sun was born in 1900. He showed his high intelligence at a young age. He got the highest marks and was admitted to the Tsing Hun University. Then, he studied abroad in Purdue University. His major was Civil Engineering. At that time, only a few students can get scholarships of government sponsorship for overseas study. After graduating, he had chance to be an engineer. Seeing his country was in trouble, General Sun altered his career development. He applied for Virginia Military Institute and majored in Liberal Arts.
Look at this picture. He was tall and handsome. He was also good at all kinds of sports. He was team captain at basketball. His position was point guard who directs the team’s attacking play and controls the game tempo. No wonder he became a general in the near future.
He fought so many battles, and some almost took his life. Here, I’d like to highlight two of them. The first one is Yenangyaung Victory. He led a small force to fight against the numerous Japanese soldiers and won the battle. 7000s British soldiers, missionaries, and journalists were saved. He became well known and got a nickname “The tiger of jungle” or “Rommel of the orient”
Another key battle is Guningtou Victory. Although General Sun wasn’t fighting the battle in person, the troopers he trained were the main force. The victory lifted the army’s confidence and became the “turning point” of the whole situation. It stopped the Chinese Communists’ attempt and made Taiwan a safe island.
Sunroom
Because the residence has been through several renovations, the sunroom is the newest part designed with an eco-friendly concept. The roof with an electronic covering will keep it from sunlight when necessary. In addition, a water tank full of rainwater pumps up to the glass roof to cool down the heat in summer. You can enjoy your afternoon tea in this garden restaurant. The place can be a beautiful dining area, and it is also a unique wedding venue.
Artgo Study
This area used to be the research center of the Water Supply Department. People who worked here gathered books, maps, and reading material for setting up the waterway network. The place looks like the first library of the Japanese era.
If you are interested in the wall construction, I can show you some preserved objects in the corner. They are two common styles: Bamboo Plaiting Mudwall and Wood Mudwall.
Garden
Next, let's go outside to see the garden. The pond's shape looks like the Chinese Character "heart" So it is called heart-shaped pond, which is one of the traditional methods of Japanese gardens influenced by Zen. Do not use your eyes to see. Use your mind instead. Would you like to learn how to say that in Mandarin?
Beside the pond are some Alexander coconut trees. One tree is alone in the front, and the others form a group. The appearance looks as if General Sun were talking to his soldiers. General Sun planted the trees to memorize of the sacrificing soldiers. He is such a great humanitarian !
According to his birthday on Dec 8th, 1900, General Sun was a Sagittarius. He had great ambition, and lots of brilliant ideas in his mind. One of his weaknesses was that he neglected some minor things, which was harmful for keeping his position. His honesty and frankness not only made him outstanding among his peer but also irritated a powerful man Chiang Kai Shake. At last, General Sun lost his title and freedom.
Next story was about a vivid dream. Mrs. Sun remembered having a dream several months before General Sun got set up for committing a crime. She said "A devastating earthquake occurred. Luckily, my husband was safe and sound. He hadn't got hurt; however, he came out from the resident without his military cap." General did keep his life but lost his title at that time.
功高震主
Look at this 3D photo. General Sun is at the left-hand side. My right-hand side is General McArthur. They were old friends. While they were communicating with each other in English. Right behind them stood President Chiang. He probably felt confused. Did they say something I should know? His expression was a little bit weird.
As I mentioned earlier, General Sun was famous around the world. A subordinate has great achievements which make his boss feel uneasy and nervous. The boss will tolerate this situation or do something to stop it. I once came here for lunch and heard the story by chance. I am deeply touched by General Sun’s patriotic sentiment. He deserved the highest position in history.
