On January 3, 2026, six households in Tainan, southern Taiwan, whose homes were severely damaged by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 2025, received the keys to their newly rebuilt homes—marking a fresh start after the disaster.

The earthquake struck mountainous communities in the districts of Nanxi, Yujing, and Zuozhen, causing extensive residential damage. In response, Tzu Chi partnered with the Tainan City Government to provide post-disaster housing assistance. This includes on-site reconstruction of detached prefabricated homes, enabling affected families to rebuild on their original land, as well as off-site construction of a clustered transitional residential complex for households unable to rebuild in place.

Building Great Love Residential Complex

As part of the off-site resettlement plan, the Tainan City Government and Tzu Chi launched the Great Love Residential Complex in Nanxi District. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on June 21, 2025.

At the ceremony, Pi-Yu Lin (林碧玉), Vice President of the Tzu Chi Foundation, reaffirmed the organization’s long-term commitment to disaster recovery.

Master Cheng Yen was deeply concerned about the affected residents immediately after the earthquake. We are grateful to the city government for providing comprehensive information, to Tainan Tzu Chi volunteers for their dedicated frontline care, and to volunteers across Taiwan who assisted with repairs to homes that were not red- or yellow-tagged in 2025. We wish all the residents peace, stability, and prosperity in the years ahead.
—Pi-Yu Lin, Vice President of Tzu Chi Foundation

The project is part of the city’s “Settling Home Project.” Tzu Chi is donating the main structures, while the city government is responsible for landscaping and surrounding infrastructure. Once its mission is completed, the complex will be converted for broader social welfare use.

The complex is a three-story reinforced concrete building with a total floor area of approximately 972 square meters and 70 residential units, including 52 studio apartments (four barrier-free) and 18 double-occupancy units. The first floor will feature a multipurpose community space for gatherings, reading, exercise, and social interaction, designed with ample daylight and ventilation.

Six families return home first

While the residential complex is still under construction, Tzu Chi also pursued on-site reconstruction for families whose land conditions, access, and engineering feasibility allowed.

On January 3, 2026, six households in Nanxi, Yujing, and Zuozhen districts received the keys to their newly completed detached prefabricated homes, built on their original land.

These six households live in especially remote mountainous areas, some accessible only by muddy paths and without proper roads. Many construction companies were unwilling to take on the work, and during construction, vehicles were repeatedly stuck in the mud. Despite these challenges, the engineering team completed the homes as planned.

On the handover day, Tainan City Mayor Wei-Che Huang (黃偉哲), along with city officials, local district chiefs, and Tzu Chi representatives, visited each household to conduct blessing ceremonies marking the donation and move-in of the new homes.

To welcome the families, Tzu Chi and the city government prepared more than a dozen housewarming gifts, including electric kettles, cookware, bedding sets, fresh fruit, and traditional Lunar New Year foods such as rice cakes, steamed prosperity cakes, and radish cakes—creating a warm and joyful atmosphere as residents began a new chapter in their lives.

Resilient and rapid construction

The prefabricated homes were designed to balance efficiency with long-term durability. By combining industrialized off-site production with on-site assembly, the construction process significantly shortened build times while ensuring structural integrity and quality.

Construction began with careful site preparation, including excavation, foundation work, and ground leveling. This was followed by the installation of ground beams and wall panels, structural locking, reinforcement steel placement for floors and interior slabs, and concrete pouring. Interior work included light steel–frame ceilings, waterproofing, and the installation of plumbing, septic tanks, and drainage systems. For homes located in mountainous areas, surrounding ground levels were raised to improve drainage, enhancing overall stability and longevity.

Building in remote, mountainous terrain presented considerable challenges. Narrow access roads and steep slopes required detailed planning, particularly during the hoisting and installation of wall panels, which had to be carried out in carefully sequenced stages. Despite these constraints, the construction company completed the homes as scheduled.

A representative from the engineering firm said that, following the demolition of the damaged houses, excavation and construction took approximately 45 working days under normal weather conditions. Periods of unstable weather and muddy ground occasionally forced work to pause, but the construction teams persisted to ensure the homes were completed in a timely manner.

A new beginning for families

For the families who moved into their new homes, the impact was immediate and deeply personal.

Ms. Ma, one of the residents, shared her sense of relief and renewed confidence in the structure. “The house is very well built, and its earthquake resistance gives us great peace of mind,” she said. “Both the foundation and the walls feel solid and secure. Construction began in June, and even with typhoons and heavy rain, the team worked hard to complete the house as quickly as possible.”

Another resident, Mr. Li, expressed gratitude for the collective support that made the rebuilding possible. “We are truly thankful to the city government and Tzu Chi for helping us rebuild our home,” he said. “After the earthquake, we were extremely worried. Fortunately, the mayor, various city government departments, and Tzu Chi worked together to support us and ease our burden. We are especially grateful to the engineering company for building such a sturdy house. We initially thought we would have to handle the interior renovations ourselves, but they took care of everything.”

Mayor Huang acknowledged the extraordinary effort involved in completing the homes under challenging conditions. “Under normal circumstances, it would be nearly impossible to build a house in such a short time,” he said. “Despite typhoons and flooding during the construction period, the engineering team overcame the challenges of remote locations and difficult transportation, allowing the families to move into their new homes sooner. These six households met all requirements, including property ownership, regulatory approvals, and engineering feasibility. With construction material costs rising sharply in recent years, we are especially grateful to Tzu Chi for completing these homes using the fastest and most efficient construction methods.”

Comprehensive disaster response

In the aftermath of the 0121 Chiayi Tai Po Earthquake, Tzu Chi launched disaster relief operations, providing hot meals in the earliest hours and later distributing essential supplies such as room partitions, beds, and blankets.

Beginning on February 5, 2025, Tzu Chi also initiated repair work for homes that were damaged but not deemed unsafe for occupancy. By late February, thousands of volunteer service shifts had supported repair efforts in Nanxi and Yujing districts, helping hundreds of households restore safe living conditions. With continued involvement from local Tainan repair volunteers, the effort ultimately brought renewed stability to 269 families—reflecting Tzu Chi’s commitment to walking alongside survivors from emergency relief through long-term recovery.

Written by Yi-Chien Chen (陳誼謙), Hsiu-Ling Wu (吳秀玲), Ching-Chun Lin (林靜君)

Photos by Ming-Chuan Kuo (郭明娟), Yi-Chien Chen (陳誼謙), Yung-Chou Wang (王永周), Wang-Tung Ko (柯旺藤), Ya-Chen Lee (李雅貞)