The Memorial Hall Founding of Yilan Administration was once the official residence of Yilan County magistrates. The building was actually preserved to protect a century-old camphor tree on the grounds. The Yilan County Government implemented the Yilan City “Nanmen Project” (a.k.a. South Gate Project) to save the tree and leave an historical witness to the development of Yilan’s politics over the years. In 1997, it gave the 100-year old residence a new lease on life, converting it into the Memorial Hall Founding of Yilan Administration to display information about the magistrates that administered the county since the Qing Dynasty.