淡水街長 洪以南 The First Mayor of Tamsui

Most friends of Tamsui will recognize this famed 1935 oil painting by 陳澄波 (1895-1947). On the upper right is the 紅樓 (Red Castle) built in 1895-99, home to the 洪以南 (Hong Yi-Nan) family (purchased in 1913, re-named 達觀樓). For years, it has sat idle, now a popular cafe-restaurant with a spectacular view of Tamsui.

洪以南 was actually the first mayor of Tamsui (from 1920 to 1924) who lived there for 14 years. The 淡水信用組合 that he had helped founded is still in business today.

Mayor Hong was an accomplished scholar, well-known for his poetry, calligraphy, and traditional painting. He was also a literature collector and the first leader of 瀛社, a poetry society in Taipei. A short biography is included in the recently published 淡水鎮志 vol 3 p 292 and reproduced here:

洪以南（1871—1927） 洪以南名文成，字逸雅，號墨樵，別署無量癡者。清淡水廳艋舺(今臺北市萬華)人。1871年（同治10），生於艋舺土地後街，1913年4、5月間，遷居淡水。道光中，其曾祖自泉州移往臺北。祖騰雲，經營米郊致富。以南幼穎異，祖喜之，延泉州名孝廉龔顯鶴課讀，受諸經子史詩賦。1895年，割臺，內渡晉江，參加童試，補弟子員，後為護產，攜眷返臺。1897至1901年，嘗任臺北縣辨務署參事，1897年授佩紳章，之後歷任艋舺保甲局副局長、臺北廳檢驗疫員、臺北協會臺北支部評議員、臨時臺灣舊慣調查會囑託、臺北廳參事，1914年9月25日任淡水區長，1920至1924年首任街長等職。洪氏善詩文，詩書俱佳，能畫蘭竹，且家饒於貲，乃蒐集各地散佚圖籍、碑帖、文物，購達觀樓以貯之，為北臺著名藏書之所。1909年與謝汝銓等共創瀛社，被推為第一任社長，時與當道相唱和。著有《妙香閣集》。子長庚，是臺灣第一位眼科醫學博士。1927年5月14日，洪氏因病去世。洪氏雖然只在淡水居住約14年，但因其交友廣闊，為人又熱心，除了擔任淡水區、街長外，更一手參與淡水信用組合的成立，在淡水的近代史留下了美好的名聲，其寓所―達觀樓亦讓後人緬懷當年文人雅士聚集飲酒作詩的風雅。
Hong Yi-Nan was from Manga (now WanHua), born in 1871, and relocated to Tamsui in May 1913. His great grandfather had migrated from QuanZhou to Taipei during the reign of Emperor DaoGuang (1821-50). Grandfather Ten-Yun became wealthy from the rice trade who, recognizing the extraordinary intelligence of the young Yi-Nan, had invited a famous scholar Kong Hsien-He from Quan Zhou to be his grandson's private tutor for the latter to learn literature, history, poetry, and rhapsody. In 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan, Yi-Nan moved to Jing-Jiang and took the Chinese national scholastic exam to qualify for officialdom. Later, to protect family estates in Taiwan, he traveled back with his family and was appointed to a series of official posts. On Sept 25, 1914, he became the Director of Tamsui District, and between 1920-24, Tamsui's first Mayor. Yi-Nan was well-known for his poetry, calligraphy, and traditional painting (of orchids and bamboo). He was also an avid literary collector, owner of a noted private library within his residence 達觀樓, and the first leader of 瀛社, a poetry society in Taipei. Yi-Nan's son Chang-Gun was the first MD ophthalmologist of Taiwan. Yi-Nan passed away on May 14, 1927 from an illness. Even though he had resided in Tamsui for only 14 years, because of his vast network of friends and unbridled generosity, he not only had administered Tamsui but had also participated in the establishment of Tamsui Cooperative, leaving behind a favorable imprint in Tamsui's modern history. His residence 達觀樓 also permits younger generations to look back and remember the graceful past of poet gatherings, complete with poetry composing, reading, and wine-sipping, at that time.

The Hong Family has kept a collection of vintage photos, including the art work done by Hong Yi-Nan, here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sunangen/225906044/in/set-72157594252244290

A quick example is the ballad composed by Hong Yi-Nan (exhibition in 北投文物館, est 1984):

Courtesy of Katy Biggs, great granddaughter of Hong Yi-Nan