The Swiss Mountain Village Castle was abandoned for over 20 years. Originally a meeting retreat for the Tai ji Men, a Taiwan religious group, it then came under possession of the government while its owner underwent tax investigation. In 2020, the charges on the man were dropped and the property was returned, but by that time it had been sitting in ruins for decades. I am not sure if the building will be renovated or torn down in the future.
Background: Taiji men was formed in 1966 and is a religion, but considers itself a school for physical and spiritual well being especially through the use of Tai Chi. For more info about the religion see here. The Swiss Mountain Village was one like any other in the area, a place where somewhat wealthy people in the Taipei area would build villas and retreats. Swiss Mountain Village in Xizhi is not the most ideal place to live now. Residents there have to deal with not having piped water from the city, for one. At the beginning, the neighborhood built a community center which is the castle we know now. Mr. Hong built the community center in 1996 to use as a meeting place for his religions events. What got Mr. Hong in trouble was a tax investigation to profits earned from some of his Tai Chi schools in Taipei. Originally the tax office thought that his schools should be taxed the same way as a cram school, but Hong contended that it was a non profit religious organization and should not be taxed. After over 20 years and 18 court battles Mr. Hong finally won the fight against the tax office, and the assets frozen during the legal fight were finally returned to him in 2020. For more about the background on this castle, see here. Since the property is now in private hands, I do not recommend visiting so I will not share the map location. The building may be renovated, but will more likely be torn down due to maintenance costs. During the 20 years or so that the land was frozen by the government, Mr. Hong did not pay taxes or management fees, which he still owes. Tours in Taipei: There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy in Taipei that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here, which are both great tour websites that can connect you with the right tour and tour guide for you. Activities in Taipei: You can also look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, and more on Klook here or KKday here. Hotels in Taipei: We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
Our Journey:
When I visited in 2019, the building looked abandoned, however my friend told me that he had also visited and noticed squatters living there. I only peered through the front door and was more interested in getting drone footage. I have not been back since then (two years ago), so I do not know what it is like now. Since the building has changed hands, I think it is finally time to share this post.
See our drone video of the castle above.
When I visited, I could just ride my scooter into the neighborhood and the guard did not stop me. I am not sure if that is the case now. I am sure the castle has become popular and they do not want people visiting now.
There are actually a lot of houses shaped like castles in Taiwan, and you'd be surprised how many of them are abandoned.
This place was such a unique feature on the skyline that I had to check it out.
Many of the windows on the castle were open or broken.
View at the front door.
Steps leading up to the entrance.
Cement work at the front entrance.
View of the front steps. Not a wheelchair friendly place at all.
From the front entrance, it seems the first floor is just used as storage, by someone.
More junk on the first floor. It seems the interior decorating of the place never actually happened. Maybe the property was frozen by the government before that could happen.
However in its current state, it seems the Taijimen could have easily sent someone to look after the place and at least make basic repairs, but that didn't happen.
View from the front porch. It's not a bad view.
Loose electric wire hanging from the front porch.
Another view from the front of the house.
Further down the mountain village you will find many other abandoned houses. I am not sure if they are owned by Taijimen too, but many of them probably are. These were supposed to be store fronts, but there are no stores here.
Many of the houses are being used as storage.
Last view of the empty castle.
You can also look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, and more on Klook here or KKday here. Check out our list of the best views of Taipei here. Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here. Also be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here. You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
2 Comments
Jan-Willem
12/7/2021 03:51:46 pm
I believe the writer of this article lives in a 1m//ping apartment above a 711 and MRT station.
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William Bleeton
12/28/2021 11:31:18 pm
I stumbled into this area when cycling around the area. Two residents walking down the street were exceptionally friendly and said hello. I feel a touch bad that in my super poor Chinese I might have sounded offensive when I tried to ask why this place was abandoned. The reply was a bit different than I expected, maybe a bit defensive but I couldn't understand more than 5% of what was said. What I do know is the people are really friendly and above all very proud of their community. The place is unique and beautiful, even in its ghostly state. There is something really special about this place, like another world that is yes a bit sad, but also beautiful, mysterious, and charming all at once. Really hope it will survive in the future, especially the gorgeous castle.
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Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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