中文版即將推出，敬請期待！

Losheng, which translates as happy life, was built in the 1929 by the Japanese. At the time Hansen's disease, commonly known as leprosy, was considered highly contagious and Losheng was built to house Taiwan's sufferers. It was, and in many ways still is, a totally self sufficient community, equipped with a temple, a church, its own hospital, vegetable gardens, communal laundries, and a lot else besides. In 1954 a new way to treat leprosy was discovered and the inhabitants were allowed to leave. However for many it had become a home and unable to adapt to what had been, and perhaps still was, a hostile society outside many elected to stay.

In the 90's the Department of Rapid Transit (DORT), decided it needed the sanatorium site for an MRT depot. This pushed the future of the sanatorium into limbo. A replacement building and hospital was provided (the large structure near the sanatorium bridge). However it was unpopular with residents. They felt the sense of community and their collective memories would be destroyed as well as the tranquility. The MRT construction comes right up to the sanatorium edge and has destroyed a few buildings. It's also clear a couple of buildings have shifted down the valley a little from subsidence, and are twisted.

Many people have fought to preserve Losheng and help the residents over the past 15 to 20 years. As of 2023 they have been successful in having the site recognized as an important historic space. The MRT seems to be functioning well enough without taking Losheng’s site and the future looks much more secure. After learning about it and visiting in 2015 I decided I had to draw it!