Goodbye 886 - Taiwan Military Dependents' Village Cultural Park Introduction
Since 1945, military families from various regions of mainland China have gradually settled in different parts of Taiwan. As time has passed, the unique cultural atmosphere of the military dependents' villages evokes nostalgia for many. According to statistics from the Ministry of National Defense in 2005, there are 886 recognized military dependents' villages across the country. After the merger of Kaohsiung City and County, the city possesses military housing for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, preserving nearly 90 hectares of military dependents' village cultural landscape, the largest area in the country. To restore history and connect with the local community, the "Kaohsiung City Military Dependents' Village Cultural Museum," formerly located in the old town of Zuoying, has been moved to Mingde New Village at No. 2, 3, 4, 10, and 11. It has transformed and reopened under the name "Goodbye 886—Taiwan Military Dependents' Village Culture Park," guiding visitors to understand the uniqueness and beauty of Taiwan's military dependents' village culture. The distinctive value of Kaohsiung City's military dependents' villages encompasses the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with naval families mainly in Zuoying, Air Force families in Gangshan, and Army families in Fengshan. Zuoying, the base for the Navy, features the largest naval dependents' village in Taiwan, called Mingde New Village, which is known as the "General’s Village" as it once housed many high-ranking officers. In 1996, the "Old Military Dependents' Village Reconstruction Act" was passed, accelerating the disappearance of military dependents' settlements. During her tenure as Mayor of Kaohsiung, then-Secretary-General of the Presidential Office, Chen Chu, actively advocated for preservation with the Ministry of National Defense. The Kaohsiung City Government's Cultural Bureau launched the "Living for Protection" plan in 2014 to overcome preservation challenges. In 2016, it received support from the Ministry of Culture for the "Renovation and Promotion Plan for Huangpu New Village Buildings" and the "Cultural Landscape Revitalization and Reuse Plan for Kaohsiung Left Camp Navy Dependents' Village." Starting in 2017, upgraded plans such as "Living for Protection: Talent Base," "Living for Protection: Community Renovation," "Living for Protection: Old House Labor Camp," and "Living for Protection: Military Dependents' Village B&B" were launched, with 133 households restored and 91 houses matched for occupancy with Huangpu New Village, aiming to continue the rich life texture and living functionality of the military dependents' villages. The "Goodbye 886—Taiwan Military Dependents' Village Culture Park," themed "Goodbye," pays tribute to the bygone years of military dependents' villages while celebrating their rebirth. The entire area consists mainly of four large buildings: the "Military Dependents' Village Era Museum" recounts the turbulent years of drifting and settling, displaying medals, old suitcases from fleeing, artillery shell boxes, and rice barrels; the "Military Dependents' Village Recreation Club" represents the cultural and entertainment atmosphere of the military district after coming to Taiwan, showcasing items such as vouchers for military supplies, commemorative plaques, and the "Genesis Poetry Journal," reflecting the cultural ambiance of the clubhouse, cinema, and Genesis Poetry Society; "Military Dependents' Village Tide" introduces the impacts and changes faced by military dependents' villages post-renovation, incorporating AR interactive experiences to show new versus old contrasts; the "Military Dependents' Coexistence Base" aims to create a platform for creators who love military dependents' village culture to exchange, share creations in the base space, and the park will periodically hold creation workshops and performance events. In the future, the entire area will consist of 52 buildings from the renovated Mingde New Village, forming the largest military dependents' village culture preservation park in Taiwan. It aims to create a cultural field exclusive to Taiwan's history, resonating public interest and concern for military dependents' culture and local cultural asset preservation, hoping that "military dependents' village" is not a term frozen in time and space, but that it contributes to the preservation and active utilization of Taiwan's historical processes, leading to a deeper understanding of the diverse historical scene of Taiwanese culture. For more information, you can search on Facebook "Goodbye 886—Taiwan Military Dependents' Village Culture Park" or call 07-5812886 for inquiries. Military Dependents' Village Era Museum (originally Mingde No. 2, 3): After World War II, the Zuoying military district was taken over by the Republic of China Navy and designated as the Navy's Third District. In 1949, the Republic of China government retreated from mainland China, turning the Zuoying military district into the First District, which brought many navy personnel and their families in a state of "drifting." Reflecting on this period, various historical events like the defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the outbreak of the Korean War, and U.S. support due to Taiwan's strategic location occurred in a matter of years. In the midst of these rapid changes, the navy and military families had to drift and adapt. This building, which once housed former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone's residence No. 2, is designed with the theme "Time Rewinds: 1949," leading visitors back to the scene of arriving in Taiwan with a suitcase to live in a military dependents' village, showcasing living scenes such as the living room, dining area, and kitchen. Items displayed include a shell-cast ashtray, medals, old suitcases, identification documents, and sweaters worn during evacuation in the living room, as well as a rice barrel crafted from an artillery shell (which was commonly repurposed in early living) and a coal stove (often used in military dependents' villages for cooking and boiling water), along with jars for pickling vegetables during times of fleeing. Various items from military dependents' households reflect their unified life, bearing different memories and life traces, revealing the migration process of the era. Military Dependents' Village Recreation Club (originally Mingde No. 4): Many military dependents' villages in Zuoying were planned within the military district, categorized as restricted areas, requiring permits to enter. Life and entertainment within the village were far from dull compared to outside. This building serves as an important social space in the village, differing in culture according to the army branch, featuring places like the Four Seas One Family, Zhongshan Hall, and Zhongzheng Hall within the Zuoying Navy Area. This became an alternative scene full of life in the dependents' village. The theme "Zuo Ying Er San Shi" showcases the literary and lifestyle experiences after coming to Taiwan, filled with memories and honors from various families and life stages. The entrance simulates a checkpoint where residence permits are checked or where military dependents wait for visitors, leading to displays of essential items for village life—like the Zuoying Military Dependents' Voucher (a ration coupon for food distributed monthly in the military). Crossing the checkpoint leads into a significant social space for Navy life, and additionally, the literary contributions of soldiers illuminated Taiwan's literary scene at that time, highlighting three important poets of the "Genesis Poetry Journal": Lo Fu, Ah Xian, and Zhang Mo, presenting the cultural atmosphere specialized in military arts, featuring American club culture, military film arts, and soldier literature introduced by the U.S. Advisory Group. Military Dependents' Village Tide (originally Mingde No. 11): This building exhibits "Two Skies," contrasting mainland China and Taiwan under the same era. After the civil war, Taiwan united to firmly oppose communism, fervently proclaiming slogans such as "Anti-Communist and Anti-Russian," promoting the goal of counterattacking the mainland, and developing a cultural revival movement to counter the other sky's "Liberation of Taiwan" and Cultural Revolution.
