Save Witch Cloud Villa

Nestled behind the grand residences of Yang Ming Mountain in Taipei City lies a quiet old stone house, the ancestral residence of ninety-three year old farmer Lin Lu-shih; affectionately known to students of the Fine Arts Dept. in Chinese Culture University as ‘The Modern Art Cradle – Witch Cloud Villa’. The house lies just half a kilometer from the precipitous mountainside where the landslide disaster brought about by Typhoon Nari occurred.

The area also has many Tankan trees, old Tea trees, wild orange day lilies and bamboo groves that are harvested according to the season. Last year (2011), at the comprehensive review of urban planning in Taiwan, the development and road-widening case, known as ‘Yang Ming Mountain Road No. 15’, was raised, where it was proposed to extend the Jingshan Rd. junction – directly cutting through Witch Cloud Villa and then taking a steep nosedive before joining Jianye Rd.

Witch Cloud Villa not only has important cultural and historical value, it is located only half a kilometer from the terrible landslide disaster that occurred in Typhoon Nari. In addition, in a 2005 document from Taipei City New Construction Office, it was acknowledged that due to the steep slope, excavation work would require retaining walls of up to fourteen meters (5 stories) high, which raised serious soil conservation issues.

Moreover, at a comprehensive review of urban planning in Taiwan, agricultural land on Hua Kang Hill with a slope of greater than 30% was re-designated conservation land – further reiterating the point that the land of Witch Cloud Villa is not suitable for by-pass or road-widening projects. If we look at the situation from a transport requirement perspective, we find this road plan is simply absurd. Everyone knows the traffic chaos that descends upon Yang Ming Mountain on vacations is a massive infrastructural problem and not going to be solved by opening a tiny by-pass road. As a result, the citizen journalist has initiated a ‘Save Witch Cloud Villa’ petition, in the hope that this wonderful old house will remain in the hands of Lin Lu-shih, and we will all have the opportunity to learn more about this idyllic piece of land.

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=100234

(以下為中文對照)

搶救巫雲山莊 ( dino.utopia ) 

照片

在台北市陽明山的豪宅區後方，有一座安靜的石頭古厝，是93歲老農林炉世居於此的祖厝；是文化大學美術系學生口中的「現代藝術搖籃—巫雲山莊」；它是距離納莉颱風土石流災變地點僅0.5公里的陡峭山坡地，也是一片桶柑樹、老山茶、綠竹筍、與金針花在其上自然生長、按季收成的田園。在去年(100年)台北市都市計劃通盤檢討中，有一條名為「陽明山15號道路」的開發與拓寬案，由陽明山菁山路口延伸，直接砍穿「巫雲山莊」古厝，道路於陡坡急轉直下，轉往建業路。巫雲山莊不僅具有文化歷史價值，距離納莉風災中的土石流發生地也僅有0.5公里。而台北市新工處94年的公文，也承認此處坡地過陡，開挖後擋土牆可達14公尺高(約5層樓)，大量挖填土方會影響該山坡地的水土保持問題。而且，此次台北市都市計畫之通盤檢討更以華崗山坡度大於30% 為由，將該地區的農業區改設「保護區」，在在證實此處根本不適合新闢或拓寬道路。如果從交通的必要性來看，這條路更為荒謬。眾所周知，陽明山的假日車潮為結構性問題，決非開闢一條小小的替代道路就可解決。因此有公民記者發起「搶救巫雲山莊，守護百年古厝」連署。希望讓巫雲山莊繼續陪伴林炉阿公、陪伴我們認識這塊土地。

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