The front part of the cultural park is very well preserved and well maintained. A short section of railway has been rebuilt, but it soon ends at a blockade. You can walk around it—the tracks continue for about 300 meters before they are interrupted. I especially recommend this visit for children. In the upper area, the foundations of a small settlement are still visible; it was destroyed by a fire. A bit further uphill lie the remains of a village, but I couldn’t find any information about it. It is slowly being left to decay. Above this area, the Wanrong Forest

ed. 12/2025 I went back in again and did more detailed research, and I also found buildings that have not previously been mentioned online. My impression was that this is a KMT training center, because there is a strong emphasis on Chinese culture, but there is also a church. On the Jinshi Trail near Hukou (金獅步道), you’ll encounter the ruins of an abandoned settlement, Yihe Mountain Villa (逸鶴山莊), which was likely used for political education under the Kuomintang (KMT). It was temporarily closed after a typhoon when a man, unable to escape his gambling debts, committed suicide there. Today, it is

Hsinpu lies on the border between Taoyuan and Hsinchu, near Yangmei. It is a Hakka area that has seen better days. Abandoned Church In 2024, I saw this church for the first time. It’s already quite overgrown, which is probably why it’s always overlooked. It likely had numerous outbuildings, which are now slowly being reclaimed by nature. You can still get in from the back; the interior is still clearly recognizable, though the floor is already quite dangerous. In 2025, unfortunately, the lower windows had already been destroyed. Abandoned Factory The road between Yangmei and Hsinpu winds pleasantly through the hills,

In Qingshui stands a well-preserved Military Dependents’ Village Cultural Park (清水眷村文化園區), surrounded by rice fields, with buildings that can be entered (beware of collapse and snake hazards!). (Glorious times – were gone) (The structures are still clearly recognizable, but the gnawing tooth of time is not very patient.) Its history dates back to 1938, serving as accommodations for employees of a military factory. As the residents aged, the village was abandoned in 1995 and fell into disrepair. The simple lifestyle of the soldiers in the single-story buildings is evident, particularly because parts of the village are situated on a self-contained street.

ed. 12/2025 Very dangerous (risk of collapse) Lushan Hot Springs is located in Ren’ai Township. It was originally the homeland of the Seediq tribe’s Mahebo community. The surrounding area includes Wushe, the Tarowan Creek, and the Mahaipu Creek. It holds historical significance and reflects the development of a unique region in Taiwan. The following video clearly shows the devastating impact of natural disasters: This place holds great personal importance for me. I visited several times with children. Nearby lies the site of the final battlefield of the Wushe Incident, where Mona Rudao took his own life. It is a place of

Guanxi is a treasure for fans of old houses. I’ve often driven the road toward Fuxing and passed by this spot. The hill always seemed artificial, and there was a small path. So I went in and discovered a road and the first outlines of something. I had to clear the way a bit, and soon I found an entire complex with many houses—though they have been left to decay. You can still sense the complexity of it. I asked an old man, and he told me that the old road used to run to the right of the house. Behind

Okay, the title is a bit of clickbait. I live here and I’m happy. Yangmei is a rather unremarkable town between Taoyuan and Hsinchu, home to many Hakka people. That’s why you can see buildings from different eras all around. It’s Taiwan: a country caught between its past, a certain shabbiness, and cutting-edge modernity. Here are a few impressions. The old gives way to the new – good or bad? Many old neighborhoods in Taiwan have to make way for modern high-rise buildings. This is not a special settlement, but the houses are from different decades and reflect Taiwan’s development. Somehow

It is an abandoned military camp. The interior has been completely stripped, and there are no surveillance cameras. It has been erased from all maps. There is hardly any information available about such facilities, as the government does not release details due to the threat from China. This one, however, is abandoned, so there’s no issue with sharing it. The interior has been stripped, roofs have collapsed, and the rear section is in a state of decay. It was likely a larger area with military installations and heavily decayed barracks. Only this stele is of special interest — so far, I