A social approach to preserve difficult heritage under neoliberalism – a leprosy settlement in Taiwan and beyond

Leprosy settlements have never been a priority in historic preservation due to their assumed lesser architectural value and marginalized historical significance in nation-building. Furthermore, they are considered ‘difficult heritage’ for their history of pain and shame. Recent external and internal factors have prompted significant opportunities for these settlements. However, either preserving or demolishing a leprosarium is a sensitive decision that is complicated by the influence of neoliberalism with its emphasis on a market oriented economy. The demolition of Losheng Sanatorium in Taiwan and the questionable conduct shown to its residents spurred a call for human rights that culminated in dramatic demonstrations led by youth activists and leprosy-affected residents. In this paper, I present the case of Losheng Sanatorium to illustrate three points: how difficult heritage can work as a catalyst to agitate social movements when national public projects are in conflict with historic preservation, how the bottom-up social approach to historic preservation of leprosy settlements includes both a people’s history and the physical environment, and how the preservation dilemma shared between Losheng Sanatorium and Sungai Buloh Leprosarium in Malaysia facilitated a transnational collaboration.