天母美軍宿舍群

April 19th, 2025

Last updated April 19th, 2026

The hills at the northern margins of Tianmu in Taipei are home to several abandoned residences widely known in the urban exploration community in Taiwan. Although not substantiated by official records these structures were almost certainly built with funding from the Bank of Taiwan (臺灣銀行) for US Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) personnel stationed in the area from the early 1950s to the late 1970s. Following the American withdrawal in 1979 most such properties reverted to management by the bank and were either redeveloped or neglected over subsequent decades. This cluster of residences is one of the last remaining vestiges of US military housing in an area that once boasted dozens of such properties.

Overlooking the lower set of red brick barracks.

One of at least three red brick buildings on the site.

The view from the lower lane with red brick structures on either side.

The metal shutters were likely a later addition.

Partitions within one of the red brick barracks.

One of several heavily-overgrown dwellings set back from the main road.

Despite the lack of credible sources to substantiate the specific history of these buildings we can infer some information from the Ministry of Culture’s entries for Tianmu White House and Yangmingshan US Military Housing, both established in the early 1950s and recognized for their heritage value in the late 2000s. These ruins likely date to the same period, particularly the detached, presumably single family dwellings found on the upper lane at this site. The most telling feature of these homes is the inclusion of fireplaces, a hallmark of US military housing in early post-war era Taiwan.

A pair of chimneys adorn one of the detached houses on the upper lane. The taller one was for the main fireplace whereas the lower one near the back of the building was probably for the kitchen.

Completely overgrown but still standing.

One of several detached homes with a yard. Although abandoned the grounds are surprisingly not so overgrown.

Living room scene inside an abandoned US military home in Tianmu.

This detached home has almost completely collapsed, leaving only an empty shell exposed to the elements.

A closer look at the iconic fireplace, hallmark of the Cold War US military presence in Taiwan.

Information about US military housing in Tianmu is scant, although there is some indication that top brass lived in the heights while the scattered housing developments here in Tianmu were mostly assigned to mainly non-commissioned officers and support staff. This particular site boasts two classes of residences, with the lower lane featuring red brick and timber-framed barracks presumably assigned to single men or used for some other purpose.

In the aftermath of the American withdrawal it seems likely the Bank of Taiwan would have repurposed these residences as staff housing, a training facility, or a retreat center in the 1980s, but they’ve been derelict for many decades by now.

I will caution readers that the identification of these buildings is unconfirmed, and we may yet learn more about the identities of these structures in the future. Another mystery is the fact that they haven’t already been torn down and redeveloped. Perhaps the slope is not conducive to development by modern safety standards? Time may reveal these mysteries, or maybe we’ll never know.