Treasure Hill Artist Village — Attraction in Taipei

Truly awful experience at Treasure Hill Artist Village. The organization is listed on websites for international artist residencies and offers studio rentals for artists. As a visiting artist coming to Taipei, I had booked a studio apartment online before arriving. The photos on the website seemed like it would be a basic but clean space to live and work.

I was shocked when the coordinator showed me what my actual living space would be. You can see in the photos just how rundown and horrible it is. There was black mold growing all over the walls in the bathroom and bedroom. The bathroom was a nightmare. The whole apartment smelled of mold. The coordinator said it was the only apartment available, then left on holidays.

After a few days of enduring the bad conditions, I decided I had to leave early and called her on the phone to let her know, as I felt physically sick staying there. My skin and throat were itching and I could not sleep properly due to the poor air. The coordinator even tried to make it seem normal, saying that is just the environment in Treasure Hill. I demanded a refund for all the trouble.

They agreed to refund my money, but it doesn’t make up for the awful experience and harm caused. This place is a health hazard and not fit for human habitation. It’s an absolute disgrace they would even consider offering this to the public on an international level. They either need to do a thorough cleaning and renovation, or close...

This is a great little gem literally hidden in the busy section of Taipei. In addition to the artist village consisted of small studios for local and international artists, there was also a short trail through a protected shaded green area and one of Taiwan’s oldest Buddhist temples (from the Qin Dynasty era). Along the way, we were treated to some real nice views of the river and the “newer” Taipei.

The “village” was converted from a housing complex originally built for retired military personnel and their families. You used to be able to find similar complexes throughout Taiwan, but over the years they all have gone by the wayside with a very few exceptions. This particular one was well preserved and kept the exterior pretty much to its original state. It was a real treat for old timers such as myself to be able to enjoy old Taiwan architecture.

There were many studios that were open during our visit. We were free to enter and view the artworks and cool down from the extreme Taiwan summer heat. It was such an enjoyable experience, but unfortunately there were hardly any local visitor (only saw a few foreign visitors). I wasn’t sure if it was the summer heat or lack of care from locals. I do suspect...

Treasure Hill is not for everyone. To start off, it can be considered a former “illegal” squatter colony which over the years has become gentrified and legitimised. While the history is fascinating there is really very little aesthetic value.

The remaining structures are basic and box-like of simple masonry, metal and glass. Many have been rehabilitated into art spaces and studios while some are still inhabited by descendants of the original migrants. The crude and often odd juxtapositions of the new and the vintage makes it a fascinating curiosity more than anything else and a popular target for Instagramers and mediaphiles.

We took an hour to cover the entire village on a drizzly afternoon. There were not many people there. The art installations are commendable in effort but not mind blowing in content. You see the struggle.

While this should not be in your top 5 things to do in Taipei, it does make for a pleasant afternoon walk stroll in this urban oasis...