'Hidden Cottage' keeps heart of Chinese culture beating in Taipei

The owner of Yin Lu, Lin Gu-fang, once chaired the Taipei Lecture Hall, located on the third floor of the Taipei Zhongshan Hall.

Under his leadership, the busy cultural hub became a landmark for promoting traditional Chinese culture and fostering cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

Since Lin's departure in the autumn of 2020, Taipei Zhongshan Hall has remained an active cultural space, hosting performances and lectures on ballet, folk songs, and modern dance.

Compared to the spacious rooms of Taipei Zhongshan Hall, Yin Lu feels cramped. Its limited space and location in a quiet residential community, have made it difficult to attract new participants.

Both Liang and Li felt that people like themselves, who are captivated by traditional culture, are fewer in Taiwan.

For many, the connection to tradition is either distant or vague, and the current authorities are trying to keep a distance from traditional Chinese culture because of their independence agenda.

"However, when critical life events like birth, aging, sickness, or death occur, people instinctively turn to tradition," Li said.

"History is vital to the Chinese people. For us, life is a long river; only by having a past can we live firmly in the present and pursue happiness in the future," said Xin.

"If you forcibly sever ties with the past, you will become a drifting, lonely soul."

Stepping out of Yin Lu, one can still find similar people like Xin and Chen as well as attendees at their classes.

For example, Sun Rui-jin, the chief musician at the Taipei Confucius Temple for 37 years, has dedicated himself to training successive groups of middle school students to perform ancient music at the memorial services for Confucius. Tea master Tang Wenjing has been committed to recreating the whole tea-making and drinking ritual following what was recorded in the book The Classic of Tea by Tang scholar Lu Yu in the eighth century.

"There are three meanings behind naming this space 'hidden cottage'," said Lin. "First, it refers to the traditional saying that the great hermit hides in the city. Second, it reflects the ancient wisdom that when the 'Way' does not prevail in the world, one should retreat."

The third meaning comes from Lin's unique observation of Taiwan society. He believes there is a "visible Taiwan" and a "hidden Taiwan".

The visible side, which people see in the media, online, and in politics, is noisy and chaotic. In contrast, the hidden side is made up of those quietly holding on to their own cause.

"In the past, the visible and hidden sides of Taiwan coexisted in balance. Now, the hidden side is indeed gradually diminishing," Lin remarked. "Although Yin Lu is small, it represents a small glimmer of hope."