NationMaster:

Treasure Hill is a formally illegal settlement in the Gonguan district of Taipei City Taiwan. Founded as a Kuomingtang anti aircraft position after the Kuomingtang retreat from Mainland China to Taiwan in 1948. After the hill lost its strategic value and the anti aircraft weapons were removed the Kuomingtang veterans continued to live in the bunkers and houses near by. The Treasure Hill community maintained traditional farming community values from Mainland China and got enclaved by the growing industrial city. Taipei City Govenment decided to destroy the illegal settlement and change the area into a park (2003) until an architect and artist based movement GAPP (Global Artivist Participation Project) started to fight for the rights of the Treasure Hill urban farming community. The movement culminated in the work Organic Layer by a Finnish architect Marco Casagrande after which Treasure Hill became world famous and gradually protected by the Taipei City Government. The illegal settlement was legalized as part of Casagrande`s permanent environmental art work as an example of urban acupuncture.