 In 1708, ancestors of the Kuo family left their native home in Fujian, China, crossed the Taiwan Strait, and arrived in what is now known as Taipei.In 1867, Kuo Liang-chen built a squat mudbrick shop in Shilin, Taipei, where he started a pastry business.In memory of his hometown ancestral hall, he gave his store the same name, “Yuan Ye”.