Yangmingshan U.S. Military Housing Complex

The Yangmingshan American Military Housing, located in the Shanzihou area of Yangmingshan, Shilin District, Taipei, near Chinese Culture University, covers about 13.88 hectares and preserves around 150 American-style houses. Built during the 1950s and 1960s, this residential complex once housed U.S. military officers, advisors, and their families stationed in Taiwan. It stands today as one of the most significant Cold War–era relics of U.S.–Taiwan military cooperation and one of the few remaining examples of American suburban architecture in Taipei.

After World War II, the U.S. and the Republic of China established close military ties. Beginning in the early 1950s, American advisors were stationed in Taiwan to assist with training and defense. In 1951, the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), in collaboration with the ROC government, selected suburban Taipei for housing construction. Yangmingshan and Tianmu were chosen as primary residential zones—the former hosting senior officers and their families in spacious detached houses, while the latter served lower-ranking personnel. Locally, the houses were nicknamed “A-du-a-tsu” (“American supervisors’ houses”).

Beyond housing, the community featured schools, clubs, and broadcasting facilities, forming a complete American-style enclave. The area was home to the Armed Forces Network Taiwan (AFNT), which later became ICRT (International Community Radio Taipei) in 1979, continuing operations here until 2000.

Following the U.S.–PRC diplomatic recognition in 1978, the MAAG withdrew from Taiwan in 1979, leaving the compound largely vacant. Some houses were later leased by the Bank of Taiwan, with notable residents such as politician Lin Yang-kang and theater director Stan Lai. Others came under the management of Taiwan’s Council for Economic Planning and Development, and a few remain in use today by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

The existing buildings preserve their low-rise wooden architecture, with sloped roofs, broad yards, and lush gardens, evoking a tranquil American suburban atmosphere. In recent years, the Taipei City Government has designated the site as a Cultural Landscape, promoting its revitalization as art spaces, exhibition halls, and cafés, allowing visitors to experience both the Cold War legacy and the charm of a bygone American neighborhood nestled in the mountains.