Chen Ying-Pin

TAIWAN, New Taipei City

Chen Ying-Pin was an architectural carpenter whose ancestors were from Zhangzhou, Fujian, but was born in New Taipei City, Taiwan. He learned the art of woodcraft from his brother, Chen Ying-Lun. During the rule of Emperor Guangxu (reigned 1875–1908) of the Qing dynasty, he was involved in the construction of the examination pavilion, city gates, and government office in Taipei. Subsequently, he was involved in the construction of temples, which established his lifetime devotion to the architectural decoration and design of temples. Having built nearly 100 temples over his lifetime, and becoming a representative of the Zhang school, his achievements in his field were vast.
The unique decorative features that Chen incorporated into the structure of buildings were based on the traditional styles of southern Fujian. He was proficient in applying dimensional architectural patterns and skillfully altered them without overstepping specifications of traditional Chinese standards. Such architectural designs were seen in buildings to which Chen incorporated double-eave hip-and-gable roofs with artificial laterals, bracket sets in the shape of a hornless dragon and Tiger, and rectangular ceilings decorated with octagonal designs. These details, often seen in temple designs, were considered to be immensely creative and had greatly contributed to the evolution of Taiwanese temple construction.