Toad Mountain – A local story in Jingmei

Located in Taipei’s Jinmei area, Toad Mountain settlement saw a huge influx of people following the liberation of Taiwan from Japanese rule in 1945, when many veterans followed the Nationalist Government back to Taiwan and villagers from different parts of Taiwan gradually gravitated towards Taipei. Nested at the foot of a mountain with water on one side, Toad Mountain became home to poverty-stricken individuals who began building up the mountain using river rocks and simple timber materials, constructing crude dwellings that would shelter them from the elements.

These crude but functional dwellings have weathered half a century and been home to countless generations of people. Over the years, many artists have also left their mark on the area, including the entertainer Chang Fei (張菲), singer Wu Bai (伍佰), and film director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢), who filmed Daughter of the Nile. In 2013, the area was earmarked for demolition, but after a wave of vehement protest from cultural workers and Taiwanese citizens, Toad Mountain was thankfully preserved as a cultural settlement in Taipei City.

以下為中文對照

蟾蜍山聚落位在台北景美，時間約略在台灣光復後國民政府來台，許多退伍軍人與外地鄉民陸續移居到台北生活；依山傍水，山腳下往山腰築巢；生計貧困，只好取河川卵石和簡單木料搭起遮風避雨的住所。

這樣因陋就簡的歲月，不知不覺已度過了半個多世紀，子孫繁衍數代人；這期間有不少藝人留下了足跡，如張菲家人與歌手伍佰等，侯孝賢導演也曾經拍過「尼羅河女兒」； 2013 年，一度面臨被拆除厄運，在居民及文化界人士各方奔走，終於保存了下來，並列為台北市的文化聚落。