Chi Chen

     According to legend, Chi Chen (1842-1893) was the owner of Shi-yi Building. His courtesy name is Qiu-hung an surname is Yu-cun. He is second son of Chih-liu Chen of the senior branch of the family. In 1873, he was granted as the fifth rank of Chief Secretary and more exceptional among the grandchildren of Ko-chuan Chen. His granted exequatur was made of high-quality silk. The patterns are mostly auspicious cloud and red-crowned cranes. The content is written by Manchurian and Chinese writing. At present, it is collected in exhibition hall on the second floor of Folk Arts Museum. Chi Chen’s official rank was high and thus his parents and wife were awarded. His descendants preserved the portraits of them wearing robes which are collected in exhibition hall on the second floor of Lukang Folk Arts Museum.

Chi Chen’s granted exequatur is collected in Lukang Folk Arts Museum
( Retaken from History of Shi-yi Building and Yi Building )

     In the time of Chi Chen, although Lukang harbor has been silted up, long-term economic and cultural capacity resulted in abundant talents in Lukang. Family of Chi Chen changed from guild businessmen to gentry and they showed close relationship with the literati at the time. For instance, palace graduates Tsai Chang-shou and Shih Tiao-geng have presented folded fans to Chi Chen. On the fans, they revised the poems to express their emotion which revealed life art of the literati. Palace graduate Chen Yu-chen arrived in Taiwan after passing imperial examination. He left one letter by meeting Chi Chen in Lukang and admired Chi Chen’s “elegance and remarkable speech”.

     Chi Chen’s friends were mostly the literati, particularly palace graduates. It matches the images to enjoy “instrument, chess, poetry, drinking, painting, flower appreciation, moon gazing, game playing, smoking and tea tasting” in Shi-yi Building.

Portrait of Chi Chen ( photo by Cheng-kang Chen )