TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The former U.S. military housing on Taipei’s Yangmingshan, a scenic tourist spot, will host an unplugged music festival that features gigs and cultural events between Aug. 19 and Sep. 10.
Sponsored by Taipei’s Department of Information and Tourism, the festival is filled with acoustic music performances, singing competitions, swing dance, lectures about the city’s old buildings, and guided tours of what used to be the homes where American troops and their families were stationed in Taiwan.
A djembe drum performance will kick off the event, followed by performances by local bands throughout the month. Discounts are available at a dozen restaurants and cafes operating on the sprawling historical site, said the organizers.
Located near the Chinese Culture University, the military residences were built by the U.S. in the 1950s for troops sent to Taiwan to provide training and support. The housing was abandoned after the U.S. severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979.
A total of 217 residential units were built, but only about 100 of them survived. The buildings have been transformed into eateries and other spaces in a rejuvenation project led by the city government, but the fate of the housing will be determined by its owner, the Bank of Taiwan, after a lease expires in September.
Buildings were formerly U.S. military housing in Taiwan. (Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism photo)