Virtually abandoned since the 1970s, the village is well-known for its slate houses, and is listed on the 2016 World Monuments Watchlist as an endangered site.

Successive typhoons and earthquakes have made access to the village increasingly difficult, and at present the only way to reach it is on foot over unstable mountainous terrain.

The settlement of Kucapungane pre-dates Taiwan's recorded history, with Rukai legend placing its foundation at around 600 years ago.

Rukai elders have requested that the Haocha bridge – destroyed during typhoon Morakot in 2012 – be restored to allow them easier access to the village.

Rukai people have highlighted the loss of traditional Rukai life and customs since the move away from the village, and it is this intangible cultural heritage that forms part of the reason Kucapungane was identified as an endangered site on the World Monuments Watchlist by the World Monuments Fund.