"Burn, Grandpas!" Heats Up the Screens: Filming Locations Revealed

By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

Following "No More Old Men," another heartwarming tale of older men takes center stage in cinemas. The newly released domestic film "Burn, Grandpas!" tells the story of a group of veterans living in a military dependents' village whose lives are disrupted by a bunch of young people obsessed with airsoft survival games. The two generations decide to settle things through the trendy airsoft survival game. Over half of the film was shot in Kaohsiung’s Lìzhì Xīncūn (励志新村), but the village was demolished shortly after filming wrapped. Just across the street, Zìzhù Xīncūn (自助新村) was also one of the filming locations. The military village, now covered in vibrant graffiti, remains a popular attraction for visitors.

In recent years, several films representing unique aspects of Taiwanese culture have been released. Set against the backdrop of a military dependents’ village, "Burn, Grandpas!" saw the crew traveling all over Taiwan to find the perfect filming location. Eventually, they chose Zuoying in Kaohsiung—a naval base area where many military villages were concentrated, especially near the harbor, and tended to be larger than those in other regions. Although Lìzhì Xīncūn has long since been demolished, other sites such as Zìzhù Xīncūn, Lotus Pond, Qiaotou Sugar Refinery, Qijin Beach, and the Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station were also used as filming spots. Among them, the walls of Zìzhù Xīncūn have been covered in colorful graffiti by university students, and the humorous installations scattered throughout the military village are a prime example of the collision and fusion between modern art and veteran culture. When asked about the most memorable local flavors during the shoot, assistant director Peng Zhixuan of "Burn, Grandpas!" recalled that Wang Family Sesame Cakes in Zìzhù Xīncūn had a unique filling and often served as everyone’s breakfast. Meanwhile, Liu Family Pickled Vegetable Pork Hotpot, located near Zhongzheng Hall Cinema, was also one of the more flavorful restaurants. Beyond Kaohsiung, Taipei also served as a filming location for the film, including the National Human Rights Museum and Xinyi Elementary School.

Director Huang Jianliang of "Burn, Grandpas!" shed tears several times during the filmmaking process. Huang said, "So many people supported me with real actions—it was truly touching. For example, on the last day, my colleagues knew I had no money left, but they each took out their bank cards and helped me out. Making this film allowed me to witness the true goodness of humanity. Since I’ve received so much, if the film performs well at the box office, I hope to donate part of the profits to social welfare efforts, so the love I’ve received can continue to spread." T-shirts from the film will be sold at a charity exhibition titled "Seeing the Stories of Veterans," organized by the Yijiangshan Campaign Association, with proceeds going to support lonely veterans and their families. Even when he was financially strained and struggled to pay his child's school fees, director Huang Jianliang remained committed to giving back. As the classic line from "Burn, Grandpas!" goes: "Life can be passionate at any moment!"