Although I am a regular visitor to Gulangyu Island and have passed through Gongbaodi several times, it is only the first time that I have really spent some time to understand. Therefore, not to mention the tourists who have hurried to come, they can have a detailed understanding of the story behind this "full of loyal martyrs" ancient house.
Compared with the passenger flow of other streets in Gulangyu Island, Gongbaodi, located at Nos. 67 and 69 Guxin Road, is not very popular. If it weren't for the sign in front of the door, most people would just think of it as an ordinary homestay. The mansion was built in 1900, but the building itself is not very colorful, it is worth visiting the place for tourists but the story behind it.
After the Sino-Japanese War, two famous families in Taiwan moved to Gulangyu Island. One is Lin Erjia, the original owner of shuzhuang garden, and the other is Lin Chaodong of Gongbaodi. Both of them were well-known patriotic businessmen, both of whom originated during the period of Taiwan's reclamation, and were forced to move to Gulangyu Island because of their defeat in the Sino-Japanese War. However, because of the relatively popularity of Shuzhuang Garden, Lin Chaodong's father and son of Gongbaodi are rarely mentioned.
Lin Chaodong is a famous person, but when he was a teenager, because of family changes, he was also fateful. It was not until it performed well in the Sino-French War that it was revived. And then with the help of Taiwan's reclamation cause, relying on a camphor business to regain the glory of the family, together with the Lin Erjia family to become the top tycoon in Taiwan.
After the Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan was forcibly ceded to Japan. At that time, Lin Chaodong, who was originally co-opted by Japan, organized rebels to fight against Japanese colonization. However, due to the weakness of the force and the failure, Lin Chaodong, who was fighting alone, decided to temporarily retreat to Gulangyu Island. However, shortly after the construction of Gongbaodi, Lin Chaodong died, and his son Lin Zumi took over the Lin clan.
Seeing the Japanese acting recklessly in Taiwan, an indignant Lin Zumi revoked his Japanese "nationality" in 1913 and declared the restoration of Chinese nationality, becoming the first Taiwanese to restore Chinese nationality. Lin Zumi's blatant punching of the face made the so-called Governor's Office that colonized Taiwan at that time unable to step down, so most of Lin's property was confiscated. According to historical records, nine-tenths of the Lin family's property was annexed at that time.
Later, Lin Zumi, like most patriotic businessmen, hoped to save China in distress through industry. Later, under the influence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Lin Zumi threw himself into the revolutionary cause, and Gongbaodi in Xiamen at that time became an important revolutionary stronghold. Unfortunately, Lin Zumi was eventually killed by the Zhangzhou warlord Zhang Yi.
Later, the sons of the Lin clan still adhered to the ancestral precept that the country put first. These second generations, who could have lived a prosperous life, have inherited the legacy of their fathers and are active in various fields. For example, Lin Zhengheng, who grew up in Gulangyu Island, is the fifth son of Lin Zumi and a patriotic martyr, and although the sixth son, Lin Shui, has settled in Japan for a long time, he resolutely does not change his nationality, and is a patriotic family that he most admires.
Today's descendants of the Lin clan are scattered in all corners of the world. However, the existing Gongbaodi has long since changed its owner, and the two buildings have been converted into restaurants and hotels. As mentioned earlier, the building itself is not too attractive, and the meaning of the existence of this house is to enable future generations to understand the story behind it. This is also the biggest meaning behind Gulangyu Island, every cultural relics building, but it is not just used as a background wall for taking pictures.