After Retrocession, he was an art teacher at Chiayi Provincial High School. In 1951 he took up a teaching position at the Department of Fine Arts at the Taiwan Provincial College of Education (predecessor of NTNU). He retired in 1977 but still taught part-time until 1992.

In his early years, Lin was well-known for his gouache art. After Retrocession he turned more towards traditional Chinese ink painting and cultivated a different style. He was learned in Chinese prose and poetry so it was a natural step to turn to traditional Chinese art forms. Realism informs all of his works and he mentions it often in his written works.

Lin received the Golden Goblet Award from the Chinese Brush Art Association, an Art and Culture Award from the Ministry of Education, and the 15th National Special Contribution Award for Arts. He was respected by many for both his artistic talents and his strength of character. His students are spread all over the world.