Yangmingshan American Military Housing Complex

Traveler highlights

The Yangmingshan American Military Housing cluster lies in Shanzihou and comprises about 150 American-style buildings across roughly 13.88 hectares. Built as homes for U.S. military officers, advisers and their families stationed in Taiwan in the 1950s, the largest concentration was in Shanzihou and housed higher-ranking officers; Tianmu had fewer, more scattered residences. Locals called these houses “Aduzaicu” (阿督仔厝), a name reflecting their impression of American-style homes. After U.S. forces withdrew in 1979, many houses gradually stood vacant. Some were taken over by the Bank of Taiwan and rented as residences, while others managed by the Council for Economic Planning and Development were used by American Institute in Taiwan staff. The area was also home to the Armed Forces Network Taiwan. After ICRT took over its equipment and operations in 1979, it continued to use Yangmingshan as its headquarters until 2000. The cluster’s interest lies in viewing the houses as a whole and tracing how military presence, diplomatic relations and community life met in one place. The shift from military housing to rentals and institutional residences preserves traces of different uses and offers a view into the modern history of Shanzihou. Some buildings remain residential, so visitors should respect residents and observe actual access restrictions.