The origin of the Gongguan area — "Toad Mountain" — has been designated as a cultural landscape by the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

▲ Toad Mountain in Gongguan was once the command center for joint operations during the Taiwan-U.S. joint defense period. (Photo / Screenshot fromToad Mountain: Old Gongguan Heart Settlement Facebook page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The origin of Taipei’s Gongguan area — Toad Mountain — includes the settlement “Huanmin New Village,” which once witnessed the history of Taiwan-U.S. joint defense. However, last year, it faced a demolition crisis. After a long-term campaign by civic groups, the Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau finally decided on the 30th to not only preserve Huanmin New Village but also to register the entire “Toad Mountain” as a cultural landscape.

Huanmin New Village, located near the Gongguan Roundabout, was built along the slopes of Toad Mountain. Although it is currently unoccupied, the unique settlement landscape formed naturally by its 39 households on the hillside is the most well-preserved Air Force military dependents' village remaining in Taipei. It once attracted famous entertainers such as Chang Fei, Fei Yu-ching, and Wu Bai to live there, and Toad Mountain was also the filming location for renowned Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s movies “Daughter of the Nile” and “Good Men, Good Women.”

With the joint support of cultural figures like Hou Hsiao-hsien and civic groups, the Cultural Affairs Bureau finally made its decision on the 30th: not only will Huanmin New Village not be demolished, but the entire Toad Mountain will also be listed as a cultural landscape. The bureau has asked National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, which will take over the site, to plan its future use based on principles of natural ecology, preservation of living memories, and post-school revitalization, while also considering slope safety.