Located in Changhua County’s Hemei Township, the famous mansion and garden residence “Silent Park” was originally built for the famous local figure Chen Hsi-kui. His son, Chen Hsu-ku, was a writer involved in the movement against Japanese colonial rule. On the parapet of the residence, there is a sculpture in relief of a Tao Yuanming poem that was inscribed by late Qing dynasty Lukang calligrapher Tsai Shou-shih.
Silent Park is a two-story classic Baroque-style structure covering four acres. It is the old residence of Chen Hsu-kun, who was a contemporary of Lai Ho, “Father of Taiwanese Literature”, who resisted Japanese colonial rule. He was also a leading figure in the Taiwan Cultural Association and most widely known as a major figure in the New Taiwanese Literature movement. Thus, the mansion has an important link with peoples and their history, and its preservation holds major significance.
Two years ago, a descendant of Chen Hsu-ku was involved in the death of a local high school student at the hands of the Sun Moon Bright Light spiritual group, and the mansion came to be stigmatized as a result. However, the head librarian of National Changhua Senior High School, Lu Hsing-chung, devised a rescue plan for Silent Park. The landlord put the property up for NT$500 million, and gave Lu a year to raise the money. Lu asked students to travel throughout Taiwan doing fundraising activities so that they could buy the property and manage the estate through a trust.
Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者張聰秋
Lu said that rescuing Silent Park is a way of protecting Taiwanese culture, and hopes that through this rescue it can be preserved and developed as a youth entrepreneurial park.
(Liberty Times, Translated By Zane Kheir)
位於彰化縣和美鎮知名園邸「默園」原是當地聞人陳錫奎所興建，其子正是日治時期投入反對運動的文學家陳虛谷，該宅屋的樓崁上有陶淵明詩句的浮雕，是清末鹿港名書法家蔡壽石所題字。
默園佔地五千坪，為兩層樓巴洛克式經典建築，是陳虛谷故居，而其人正和「台灣文學之父」賴和為同時代人士，是反抗殖民統治、台灣文化協會的健將，更是台灣新文學運動的重要推手，因而這座園邸和人民的記憶有重要連結，保存意義重大。
前年，陳虛谷的後代涉及日月明功靈修團體虐死高中生案，致使園邸遭污名化，彰化高中圖書館主任呂興忠即有搶救默園的想法。地主出價五億，願意給他一年時間讓他籌錢，他號召學生，著手全台行腳募款的活動，買下土地再藉由信託管理默園建築物。
呂興忠說，搶救默園是維護台灣文化，因而希望能搶救，保留這座園邸，開發作為青年創業園區。
(自由時報記者張聰秋)
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