Lin Ben Yuan Family

The family was descended from Lin Ying-yin (林應寅) who moved from Longxi (龍溪), Zhangzhou, Fujian province, mainland China to Xinzhuang of Qing-era Taiwan in 1784.

Recognizing his diligence and penchant for business, he was given the opportunity to start his own rice trading firm which sparked the beginning of his wealth and fortune.

In later years, Lin Ping-hou divided his portfolio of businesses into five separately owned and managed entities for his five sons.

The entities were named "Yin" (飲), "Shui" (水), "Ben" (本), "Si" (思) and "Yuan" (源), which is a meaningful proverb and a strong family value.

It literally means to always remember the source of the water which we are drinking; a constant reminder to be grateful and respectful of the origins, ancestry or reasons for the favourable or better current conditions.

Lin Hsiung-cheng , of the sixth generation, was the richest person in Taiwan in the late Japanese-ruled era . [ 1 ]
Ji Gu Shu Wu , a library in the Lin Family Mansion and Garden.