Outcry from Losheng


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Losheng as a heritage?

Some supporters of Losheng claim it’s a heritage of Taiwan. The sanatorium was built in the Japanese colonial period and is unique within the country. It witnessed the history of leprosy, public health, and segregation. The architecture at the sanatorium is also special. The houses were built in traditional style which is rarely seen today. Moreover, the sanatorium keeps some invaluable pieces of calligraphy left by celebrity visitors.

Does Losheng have any historic value?

“The stories that happened at the place made it even more precious. Some buildings were built by the residents themselves. Some were sponsored by the area where the residents came from. It meant a relationship with their hometown although they were already forced to leave and be isolated,” said a board member of Community Empowering Society Taiwan Hung De-Jen.

Taipei County Councillor Huang Lin Ling-Ling acknowledges Losheng’s value as medical history but denied its historical value. “Sinjhuang has a history of three hundred years. We have many buildings older than Losheng.” Head of College of Culture Resources at Taipei National University of Arts Lin Hui-Cheng agreed: “I am very sure that if we evaluate Losheng according to the Cultural Asset Preservation Law, it is not worth full preservation.”

An official from the Cultural Affairs Bureau in Taipei County Tseng Chi-Tien said they had called a meeting in 2002 and come up with a negotiated construction plan with the Department of Rapid Transit Systems. “We’ve completed the administration work. Whether the Losheng protesters are satisfied with the result or not, they cannot claim that we did nothing,” Tseng Chi-Tien said.

Losheng supporters argued that even the former vice chairman of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS, a consultative body of UNESCO on evaluation of World Heritage) recognized Losheng’s value. Yet Lin Hui-Cheng doesn’t think that means something. “There are many people working under ICOMOS. Asking someone from abroad for help won’t solve the problem.”

As a cultural worker for thirty years, he expects Losheng supporters to understand the importance of compromise.

Click to hear an experienced cultural worker Lin Hui-Cheng’s suggestion.

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