Beitun New Village - Taichung City Military Dependents' Village Memorial Museum Introduction
The Taichung City Military Village Cultural Museum was formerly known as "Beitun New Village" and is one of the 134 military villages in Taichung City. Initially, after the Republic of China government relocated to Taiwan, it received housing left by the Japanese government and constructed simple houses covered with thatch and bamboo fences. It is located near the left side of the Taichung Confucius Temple today, designated for the families of technical personnel ranked above school level from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China in Guizhou. After relocating to Taichung, these technical personnel worked at the Aviation Technology Bureau and research institutions (the Aviation Technology Bureau has since been transformed into the Hanxiang Aerospace Industrial Company of the Republic of China Air Force), with the old site located near the National Taiwan Sport University and Taichung Waterworks Company today. The original residents were mainly from Sichuan, Guizhou, and Jiangsu. After the 1959 flood disaster, Vice President Chen Cheng authorized the allocation of 2 million New Taiwan Dollars to construct the "Beitun New Village" on the edge of Beitun Circle in Beitun District of Taichung City. The buildings were constructed using hollow bricks, with indoor spaces of about 24-28 ping, consisting of two bedrooms, a living room, and bathroom facilities, which was considered quite spacious at the time. After 1966, with the addition of four family quarters for pilots of the Republic of China Air Force's Third Squadron, it was renamed "Lingyun Community." The primary building material was changed to brick, the indoor area increased to 34 ping, and it included a front yard and backyard, creating a more comfortable environment. From 2008 to 2009, in line with the military village reconstruction policy, under the efforts of the Taichung City government team, original residents, the Beitun New Village Development Association, and enthusiastic local individuals, the four existing historical buildings and associated structures were preserved, leading to the planning of Taichung City's first "Military Village Cultural Museum." In 2017, under the Public-Private Partnership (Operate-Transfer) law, it was managed by Erguo Cultural and Creative Co., Ltd., which introduced "military village culture" and "military village cuisine" as the main operational directions. The "Beitun New Village" area currently includes a military village cultural story hall, a grocery store, a restaurant called "Fengzhenggu Military Village Flavors," a dessert shop, a market, and a barbershop. The founders of Erguo Cultural and Creative Co., Ltd., the Zhao brothers, leverage their diverse cultural background from "taro and sweet potato" to focus on "using the daily life of military villages to highlight local Taiwanese culture." In "Beitun New Village," visitors can experience the living environment of military families from early Taiwan and taste the culinary culture that blends flavors from both mainland China and Taiwan. Each year, a year-long special exhibition on Taiwanese culture is planned; a "Dabing Market" is held on the first weekend of each month, featuring vendors selling picnic supplies, military goods, vintage clothing, old tools, creative products, pet items, snacks, and plants. This comprehensive military village cultural experience lets visitors sense the "taste of home," allowing the continuation of the military village lifestyle and becoming a slow-living hub in the city.
Dafang Men's Barbershop, an old Taiwanese barbershop hidden in Beitun New Village.
Air Force Beitun New Village
