Unshakable nostalgia: savoring the flavors of Kaohsiung’s military dependents' villages

Text & Photography / Li Xinyi

World War II caused many historical tragedies: the massacre of Jews in Europe, and in Asia, the lost opportunity

The soldiers who came to Taiwan from the mainland, with the mindset of fighting back at any time, kept things simple and built rows of makeshift homes—military dependents' villages. These villages enforced strict military discipline. Whenever the topic of dependents' villages comes up, aside from the thick nostalgia, there’s also the image of the village children, respectful and obedient toward their parents and teachers. A full sixty years have passed, and the veterans in Taiwan are gradually passing away, fading along with their hometowns on the mainland. Whether they can return to the mainland or find their long-lost relatives and friends, that chapter of history is an irreparable regret that can never be revisited or mended.

In the villages, veterans hung the flag of the Republic of China outside their homes—a scene mirrored on the mainland, though the Chinese Communist Party has altered the history of the Republic of China there. The white sun in a blue sky over a red field emblem on the Huanghuagang Martyrs' Tomb was replaced with the Statue of Liberty; in Guangdong Province, the birthplace of Father of the Nation Sun Yat-sen, in a small village called Kaiping Diaolou, overseas

Although the veterans played a significant role in establishing democracy in the Republic of China, the military dependents' villages could not escape the fate of demolition. The Zhuzi New Village in Kaohsiung is one such example. As soon as the news of its demolition broke, a group of university students began to unleash their creativity within the village. The once somberly colored dependents' village was suddenly filled with fresh ideas: walls were painted with Doraemon and the Anywhere Door, fences were adorned with dolls, and eerie versions of Sadako hung from the ruins... As a result, the demolition of Zhuzi New Village seems to have been delayed.

Visiting Zhuzi New Village today feels like arriving at a popular tourist destination, with a constant stream of visitors filling the once-empty alleys. The sounds of laughter and chatter linger throughout the village. As a result, the elderly who used to take naps at the entrance have closed their doors, and a closer look reveals a notice on the bulletin board asking visitors not to make noise and disturb the residents. It seems that this kind of excessive “liveliness” is not warmth for the lonely veterans of the dependents' village, but rather a disturbance. When you visit next time, remember to come with respect and quietly appreciate this unique culture of the Republic of China.