Bade Huaisheng Airport

The airport was closed due to a combination of military restructuring and significant urban expansion. As the surrounding Bade District in Taoyuan rapidly developed, the airport became an obstacle to urban planning and a source of noise and safety concerns. The Ministry of National Defense deemed the base redundant and, in a series of agreements starting around 1998 and finalized by 2001, transferred the land to the Taoyuan County Government (now Taoyuan City) for redevelopment.

The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and integrated into the urban fabric of Bade District. The runway and military facilities have been demolished. The land is now part of the 'Bade Expanded Urban District Plan' and hosts several new public facilities and residential areas. Key developments on the former airport grounds include the Bade Tushigong Cultural Park (八德土地公文化館), the new Taoyuan Public Library Main Branch, and the planned Bade Campus for National Central University. New roads and housing complexes also occupy the former airbase land.

Bade Huaisheng Airport has major historical significance, primarily from the Cold War era. Originally built as a Japanese Imperial Army airfield during World War II, it was taken over by the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) after the war. Its most famous role was as the home of the 35th Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the 'Black Cat Squadron' (黑貓中隊). From 1961 to 1974, this top-secret joint CIA-ROCAF unit operated high-altitude U-2 reconnaissance aircraft from Bade on clandestine surveillance missions over mainland China, gathering critical intelligence. The airport was renamed 'Huaisheng' (懷生) in honor of Colonel Chen Huaisheng (陳懷生), a Black Cat Squadron pilot who was killed in action when his U-2 was shot down on September 9, 1962. After the U-2 program was terminated, the base was used by the ROC Army Aviation and Special Forces Command for helicopter and light aircraft operations until its eventual decommissioning.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Bade Huaisheng Airport. The land has been irrevocably and permanently repurposed for civilian urban development, including parks, educational institutions, and residential zones. The complete demolition of all aviation infrastructure and the integration of the site into the city's master plan make its revival as an airport impossible.