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The Chen Family Mansion in Maxing Town, popularly known as Yiyuan Mansion, is a compound house with a courtyard built in 1846 by Chen Wu. Wu immigrated to Taiwan from Mainland China and became wealthy from international trade. After his son passed the provincial imperial examination, he built the house. Located in a serene and beautiful place amid verdant paddy fields, Yiyuan Mansion is a two-courtyard compound made up of three rows of houses with two angled wings. The main body of the compound is fronted by two entrance halls. The detached main hall is surrounded by a four-sided courtyard house (si-he-yuan), as if wrapped in a thick solid wall. The angled wings extend outwards from left to right, layer after layer, forming an imposing exterior. The most unique feature of the architectural design of each hall is the exposed central column in chuandou (known as column and tie construction or through-jointed type construction). Two flagpoles still remain in the mansion’s courtyard. A horizontal plaque over the lintel is inscribed with words of veneration commending the success of the candidate in the provincial imperial examination. This was installed when Chen Lianmao passed the provincial imperial exam to become a graduate. At that time, the flagpoles and the plaque were symbols of success in the examination. In the mansion quite a few pieces of artwork are still preserved: including calligraphy by Wang Xipin of Lukang of the Japanese colonial era, colorful paintings by artists from the Guo school of Lukang and Ke Huanzhang of Changhua, as well as calligraphy by Wang Lansheng in the early years of the Republic of China. All of these surely add a scholarly distinction to the Mansion.