Deep in the mountains of Xizhi stands a castle known as Swiss Villa (瑞士花園廣場) that has been abandoned for more than 20 years, along with an entire row of dilapidated townhouses. The scene is bleak and unsettling. Yet the villa community itself consists of 189 households, and many people still live there today.It is probably the most well-known and easily accessible “ghost house” area in New Taipei City. Even now, one can sense how many hopes and expectations were once invested in this formerly very expensive community. The architecture evokes a strange mix of fake Switzerland, Baroque elements, and a Black Forest aesthetic.
The community begins with a large fountain, behind which stand the buildings belonging to the Tai Ji Men organization. From there, the contrast becomes immediately visible. Across the way are residential units that can still be entered, although it is hard to believe that much can be salvaged. Many structures appear beyond repair.
The large castle itself—without any background knowledge—looks almost like a former hotel, a kind of storybook version of Switzerland. Today, however, nearly everything is damaged or destroyed. Walls are crumbling, interiors have been torn apart, and decay dominates the scene.
Around 1995, this castle and more than ten townhouses were purchased by Tai Ji Men, which intended to use them as facilities for religious practice by its disciples. In 1996, however, the well-known “Tai Ji Men case” erupted. As a result, the properties were placed under prohibition. Transaction records show that the properties were subject to prohibitory measures and seizure, but they never entered the foreclosure auction market. The seizure was eventually lifted in 2020, yet Tai Ji Men has still taken no substantial steps to rehabilitate the buildings.
Behind this stands a long-running and highly confrontational legal dispute between the Tai Ji Men organization and the tax authorities. The conflict has been fought with considerable intensity. The leader, Dr. Hong, and others were temporarily detained, and the property was seized by the public prosecutor’s office.
Because of this prolonged dispute, even basic infrastructure such as water and gas connections was missing for long periods, affecting uninvolved homeowners within the community. The good news is that after waiting 40 years, Swiss Villa has finally been connected to municipal water pipelines, drawing water from an existing reservoir at a higher elevation within the community.
Structurally, the castle remains largely intact, but its exterior walls are weathered, doors and windows are broken, and weeds and moss have overgrown the entrance, creating an eerie atmosphere. The entire row of townhouses next to the castle is also abandoned, reinforcing the sense of desolation. Now that the legal dispute appears to be nearing its end, residents hope that Tai Ji Men will finally take responsibility for the buildings. The current condition is alarming. After all, who would want to buy a house in a community widely regarded as haunted? Progress, however, is slow. Building regulations are complex, and Tai Ji Men does not appear particularly proactive. For the community, recovery remains uncertain.
It is a large community. At the entrance, the houses are already in a state of serious disrepair; further uphill, they are truly derelict and heavily decayed. Only toward the very end of the development does the number of inhabited homes increase, and at the very top, some houses have even been newly restored.
