The former Shilin home of writer Lin Yutang, who designed it himself in 1966 as a blend of Chinese courtyard and Spanish styling on the slopes of Yangmingshan. Now a small museum with his library, his garden tomb and long views toward the Tamsui River – an intimate, reflective stop.
The former Shilin home of writer Lin Yutang, who designed it himself in 1966 as a blend of Chinese courtyard and Spanish styling on the slopes of Yangmingshan. Now a small museum with his library, his garden tomb and long views toward the Tamsui River – an intimate, reflective stop.
Updated June 20, 2026
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Highlights亮點Some trips need one ‘quiet highlight’ – a stop that isn’t crowded, isn’t rushed, and isn’t optimised for tourism. Lin Yutang House can be that moment. It’s intimate compared to Taipei’s big museums and gives you a softer, more personal story of the city.
If you’ve been doing high-energy nights and busy markets, this kind of stop can make your whole itinerary feel more intentional.
Lin Yutang was one of the most influential writers of his generation – a bilingual essayist, linguist, translator and inventor who introduced Chinese culture to Western readers and vice versa. He returned to settle in Taiwan in 1966, and this hillside house in Shilin was his home. He’s buried in the garden behind it, which gives the visit a quiet, personal weight.
Lin designed the house himself in 1966. It takes the form of a traditional Chinese four-sided dwelling built around an interior courtyard, but he wove in Spanish architectural features – arched lines and white walls – for a distinctive East-meets-West feel. Inside you’ll find his library and manuscripts, period rooms, and exhibition space; today it operates as a small museum and cultural venue hosting talks and performances.
Pair it with a nature day (Yangmingshan) or a Shilin museum day. Keep the rest of the schedule light so you can actually enjoy the calm. From the hillside, you can see toward the Tamsui River and Mt. Guanyin.
Part of what makes a visit linger is the location. The house sits on the lower slopes of Yangmingshan, above the city’s noise, with a courtyard and balcony that open onto long views toward the Tamsui River and Mt. Guanyin. Lin chose the spot deliberately, and you feel it: this is a writer’s retreat, designed for reading, conversation, and watching the light change over the hills. Even a short visit slows your pulse in a way few in-town attractions manage.
Inside, the appeal is intimacy rather than grandeur. You move through actual lived-in rooms — his study, his books, his desk — rather than vast galleries, and the small on-site café and exhibition space make it easy to sit for a while rather than tick a box and leave. It’s the kind of stop that suits readers, slow travellers, and anyone wanting a reflective counterpoint to Taipei’s busier sights.
Heads-up: the house has been closed for renovation since 1 June 2024, so it’s worth confirming it has reopened before you make the trip up the hill. When open, admission is NT$30 for adults, and it’s reached by several buses to the Yongfu (Lin Yutang House) stop on Yangde Boulevard.
Quick answers to common planning questions.
Official pages and references for planning details.
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Tip: hours, prices, and seasonal schedules can change. When something matters (like a museum ticket or a special exhibition), check the official listing before you go.