In Memory of His Beloved Dog: He Created the New 3,000-Ping Attraction "Monster Candy Dog Village" in Nantou

▲ Nantou’s new attraction—Monster Creation Realm Candy Dog Village. (Photo / Authorized by Niu Ge, please do not take unauthorized photos)

Reporter Tsai Wen-jun / Reporting

The issue of stray animals has garnered increasing attention in recent years. Niu Ge, the designer of Xitou Monster Village, wanted to raise public awareness about stray animals. Thus, he conceived the idea of using touching stories between humans and dogs as the theme to create a brand-new 3,000-ping attraction in Nantou called "Candy Dog Village." Apart from being both educational and entertaining, the park aims to use its revenue to shelter more stray dogs in the future.

▲ The main character in Candy Dog Village—"Jiao Bai." (Photo / Authorized by Niu Ge, please do not take unauthorized photos)

Niu Ge mentioned that he had adopted 20 to 30 dogs, among which one named "Jiao Bai" left a deep impression on his life. He also believes that the current situation where many administrative units or stray animal shelters in Taiwan do not have proper control over adoptions is wrong. Therefore, using his story with Jiao Bai as the starting point, he designed "Candy Dog Village," incorporating many dog-related tales to encourage visitors to pay attention to the issue of stray animals.

▲ Niu Ge specially built a small shrine for Jiao Bai. (Photo / Authorized by Niu Ge, please do not take unauthorized photos)

Why is "Jiao Bai" so important to him? Niu Ge explained that although he has raised dozens of dogs, when reflecting on his journey as a dog owner, he felt he had let down several dogs—including Jiao Bai. Niu Ge said that Jiao Bai was adopted by him as a puppy and accompanied him through the lowest points of his life. Jiao Bai even once helped him catch a thief but ended up getting injured by the thief, which filled him with guilt.

▲ Jiao Bai’s hand-washing basin. (Photo / Authorized by Niu Ge, please do not take unauthorized photos)

Niu Ge stated that although Jiao Bai only accompanied him for 11 years, he learned one thing from her: "loyalty." Jiao Bai spent her whole life faithfully by his side, even helping him through tough times—even though he could only spend limited time with her. To honor Jiao Bai, Niu Ge even built a small shrine in Candy Dog Village to commemorate her, so that more people can know her story. He also wants to call on the public that not just dogs, but all pets we keep are actually very loyal, and we shouldn’t treat them as mere possessions to be kept or discarded at will.

▲ A robot designed with the concept of a rescue machine, hoping to raise public awareness about the development of disaster rescue technology. (Photo / Authorized by Niu Ge, please do not take unauthorized photos)

Aside from various artistic landscapes, Candy Dog Village also features an exhibition space currently showcasing four three-story-tall large robots. Niu Ge said these large robots were inspired by the concept of "rescue machines." As a victim of the 921 Earthquake, he observed that although the government received numerous donations at the time, the funds were ultimately used to build many unnecessary buildings rather than developing more advanced rescue technologies. Therefore, with fundraising support from various sources, he designed the concept of rescue robots, hoping to encourage the public—and even the government—to prioritize the development of more technological rescue methods.

▲ %A continuation with several exhibits related to disaster relief and related themes. (Photo / Authorized by Niu Ge, please do not take unauthorized photos)