明末清初以降，林氏族人相繼渡臺謀生，其在臺灣的分布大致與臺灣開發的方向相似，呈現先南後北，先西後東的順序，而臺灣中部則一直是林氏族人最主要的發展區域。隨著世代的繁衍，清末林氏族人在臺灣中部先後發展成若干規模不一的家族或宗族，其中以林石家族、林君寵家族與林朴直家族等較為突出。 1895年臺灣割讓後，因日本殖民政府的行政組織日趨嚴密，加上工商業逐漸繁榮，臺灣的政治、經濟、社會環境都發生巨大的變化。霧峰林家、林秋金家族、林文華家族、林振芳家族，以及林耀亭家族等，透過經營工商業、參與公共事務或擔任政府公職等方式累積財富，進而提升家族的聲望。 大正六年（1917），臺灣中部近百名的林氏族人群議發起重建「林尚親堂」（臺中林氏宗廟前身）。大正九年（1920）臺中林氏宗廟正式動工，林氏族人投注大量的人力與物力來興建，至昭和五年（1930）完成廟體建築。其後，宗廟各族親透過宗廟的經營與祭祀活動的參與，使復此之間的宗族情誼未因日本的殖民統治而減弱，反而更加緊密的團結在一起。因此，臺中林氏宗廟的創建與經營，對臺灣中部林氏宗族在日治時期的發展，實具相當重要的意義。

The Lins started their immigration to Taiwan from the turn of the Ming Dynasty to the Ching Dynasty. The settlement patterns of the Lins’ Clan were similar to those of Taiwan’s early development, first from south to north then from west to east. The central Taiwan, however, was the major area where the Lins’ Clan cultivated and located. As the time went by, in the late Ching Dynasty, the Lins’ Clan split many sub clans. Of these sub clans, the family of Lin Shih, the family of Lin Chun Chung, and the family of Lin Pu Chih were more distinguished. The social, economics and political environments of Taiwan had huge changes after the cession of Taiwan in 1895 not only because of Japan colony government’s strict administrative structures on Taiwan but also because of the Taiwan’s rapid development in business. Through running businesses and participating in governmental affairs, the family of Wu Feng, the family of Lin Chiu Chin, the family of Lin Wen Hwa, the family of Lin Cheng Fang and the family of Lin Yao Tin quickly accumulated their fortune and enchanced their families’ prestiges. In 1917, some Lins in the central Taiwan proposed the plan to reconstruct the Temple of Lin Shang chin, later known as the Taichung Lins Temple. The Lins launched the reconstruction of the Taichung Lins Temple in 1920. With the Lins’ substantial supports both on labors and on finance, the Taichung Lins Temple was finished in 1930. After then, through managing this temple and participating festivals, the Lins further strengthened their networks despite their livings under the ruling of the Japanese colony government. In summary, the build and the management of the Taichung Lins Temple had substantial meanings to the development of the central Taiwan Lin’s Clan during the period of Japanese Colony.