I was on my way to Lugu (Rd. 151) when I caught a glimpse of a temple through the trees. I turned in—and there it was: a hidden beauty.
I returned with the kids, and we entered quite officially through the main gate. We met some of the local residents and asked around. The lady in charge told us that it was once meant to become a large resort. But things fell apart after the devastating 1999 earthquake, which caused serious damage and drove away many guests. Now, she said, there are no more plans.
It really is a beautiful area. It seems the idea was to create something like an “Old Fujian” settlement. The houses are built in a traditional style. It’s quite a large complex with many buildings, often multi-story. But do watch out for snakes.
A Google Maps search and some ChatGPT sleuthing brought up different names. Even the most advanced AI was tricked into calling it a beautiful, functioning resort. Further research showed that there are actually several companies with similar names, namely: 山逸園溫泉 (Shan Yi Yuan Hot Springs).
The oldest photos of the place as an abandoned resort date back to 2013, so it’s clearly been deserted for quite some time. But things get murky. On May 12, 2022, a company called 山逸園溫泉股份有限公司 was established—only to be fully dissolved on May 5, 2025. It had multiple business scopes, including investments, and claimed an investment volume of 28 million NTD. Not exactly huge for a resort.
山逸園休閒渡假有限公司 (Shan Yi Yuan Leisure Resort Co., Ltd.) was founded in 2003, after the major earthquake, and dissolved in 2018. One small house is currently operating as 山逸園休閒農場民宿, a bed-and-breakfast.
There are many explanations—but none entirely convincing. If the resort was only launched in 2003, then the 1999 earthquake can’t be the reason for its downfall. Everything points more toward this: the owners lost a great dream. And that’s a real shame. It’s a beautiful place.
So, dear friends of decay, let’s remember this:
Lost Places are often also Lost Dreams. We should visit them with respect. Behind them are hopes that never came to life. Personally, I can more than understand the lady in charge. COVID and Heiner dealt the death blow to my travel business, and the 2024 earthquake crushed all hope for new hiking tours. But let us remember the famous words of Syrio Forel:
Not today.
So, when fate comes at us hard from behind, we’ll crap in its face, repeat those words, get back up, and break its nose.
Das klingt einfach auf Deutsch schöner, oh meine Freunde der Fäulnis: Aber erinnern wir uns an die berühmten Worte von Syrio Forrell: Not today. So, wenn das Schicksal uns wieder kräftig von hinten nehmen will, kacken wir ihm ins Gesicht, wiederholen diese Worte, stehen wieder auf und zertreten sein Nasenbein. Von mir aus auch andere Beine wie Jochbein oder so.
In the background, you can see one of the many landslides that caused significant damage. The dark color indicates that it happened some time ago.
(Copyright Claudius Petzold)
