aeeble

Dadaocheng was once one of the most prosperous cities in the entire country, and Guide Street was "expensive because of tea." Many merchants engaged in the tea trade became wealthy, and Chen Tien-lai was one of them. Chen Tien-lai established the Jin Ji Tea Shop, and also invested in entertainment businesses such as Penglai Pavilion, the First Theater, and Yongle Theater, etc.

The former residence of Chen Tien-lai, located at No. 73 on Guide Street, was once the "Jin Ji Tea Shop." This three-story building, built in 1920, was in the style of Baroque. The first floor was used as a trading space, the second floor as a guest house for tea merchants, and the third floor as a residence. The exterior was grand and in the European style, with the building divided into a central main body and two side towers. The main body has decorative elements such as hanging flowers and brackets, as well as classical columns and large arcades, exuding a romantic atmosphere. It was once a well-known gathering place for tea merchants in Dadaocheng to taste tea and look out over the port of the Tamsui River. There was also a private garden behind it, adjacent to Gangzi Gou (now Xining North Road), and it is an important witness to the glamorous days of Dadaocheng in the first half of the 20th century.