Rainbow
Village is more than just a painted neighborhood; it’s one of those places that
is beyond ordinary. It is a home, unique
art gallery, historical landmark, and showcases the accomplishment of a
peaceful protest done right.
After
the Chinese Nationalist Party retreated to Taiwan in the latter part of the
1940’s, they built temporary housing (which then became permanent) for the
soldiers and their families until such time they could retake mainland
China. These villages, known as
‘Military Dependents’ Villages,’ were quickly built government housing that
dotted the landscape across Taiwan. By
the early 90’s, as many of the families moved out and the villages began to
become dilapidated, the villages began to disappear one by one as the
government pushed an aggressive program to demolish these villages. The Rainbow Village is just part of one of
these villages.
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| Painting Soldier |
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| Huang Yong-Fu, the Rainbow Grandpa |
Mr.
Huang Yong-Fu, also known as the Rainbow Grandfather, was a retired soldier
living in what is now the Rainbow Village.
After seeing his village being demolished house by house, he (now in his
90’s) came up with a creative way to fight the government from destroying his
home – he began to paint. What started
as a painting of a bird on the wall of his house grew to cover the walls,
gateways, and walkways of not just his house, but those around him as well.
As his
paintings spread they caught the eyes of students in the nearby university and
photos of his colorful protest went viral (before going viral was a thing). The photos brought the attention of people
from town and then that of the whole country and the Rainbow Village began to
become more and more of a well-known tourist attraction. After the outcry of sympathy from people
across the country the demolition was finally canceled, leaving only 11 houses
remaining.
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| Souvenier shop in the Rainbow Village |
Today
you can visit Rainbow Village and see the 11 home canvass of the Rainbow
Grandfather. This multicolored village
is adorned in vibrant colored morals of people, animals, flowers, and cartoons enveloping
its visitors in a bright, Instagram worthy setting. A walk through the village only takes about
15 minutes and there is no admission fee (donations are accepted but not
solicited). There are also a few shops
selling souvenirs based on the paintings you can purchase.
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| Aerial view of the Rainbow Village |
Getting There
Take bus No. 27 at Taichung Bus
Station, opposite Taichung Train Station, and alight at Ling Tung University. Rainbow Village will then be ahead of you on
the right.
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