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 goes by, the unique cultural atmosphere of these military villages is fondly remembered by many as a taste of home. According to statistics from the Ministry of National Defense in 2005, there were a total of 886 military villages under management nationwide. After the merger of Kaohsiung City and County, it boasts military housing for the Army, Navy, and Air Force while preserving nearly 90 hectares of military village cultural landscape, making it the largest preservation area in the country. To restore history and connect with the local community, the "Kaohsiung Military Village Cultural Museum," originally located in the old city of Zuoying, has been relocated to Mingde New Village Nos. 2, 3, 4, 10, and 11 in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, and has transformed into the "Goodbye 886 - Taiwan Military Village Cultural Park," aiming to help people understand the uniqueness and beauty of Taiwan's military village culture. The distinctive value of Kaohsiung's military villages encompasses the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with the Navy's military villages primarily located in Zuoying, the Air Force's in Gangshan, and the Army's in Fengshan. Zuoying, home to the largest Navy military village in Taiwan, includes Mingde New Village, which is known as "General Village" for having housed many high-ranking officers. In 1996, the "Regulations for the Reconstruction of Old Military Villages" was passed, accelerating the disappearance of military village settlements. Chen Chu, then Secretary-General of the Presidential Office and Mayor of Kaohsiung, actively advocated for preservation efforts with the Ministry of National Defense. In 2014, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City launched the "Housing for Protection Plan" to break through preservation challenges. In 2016, it received support for the "Renovation and Promotion Plan for Fengshan Huangpu New Village" and the "Cultural Landscape Revitalization and Reuse Plan for Zuoying Navy Military Village." Starting in 2017, it expanded to include upgraded projects such as "Housing for Protection: Talent Base," "Housing for Protection: Community Renovation," "Housing for Protection: Labor Camps for Old Houses," and "Housing for Protection: Military Village Homestays," resulting in the restoration of 133 units and matching 91 units for building industry habitation in Huangpu New Village. This aims to continue the rich life patterns and residential functions of military villages. The "Goodbye 886 - Taiwan Military Village Cultural Park" uses "goodbye" as its theme, paying tribute to the past of military villages while celebrating the new life of these villages. The area mainly consists of four large buildings: the "Military Village Era Museum," which recounts the turbulent years of drifting and settling, showcasing items such as medals, old suitcases from evacuation, and rice bins made from artillery boxes; the "Military Village Club," which presents the cultural and entertainment atmosphere of military zones after arriving in Taiwan, featuring items like military supplies certificates, commemorative plaques, and the "Genesis Poetry Journal," reflecting the cultural ambiance of clubs, cinemas, and the Genesis Poetry Society; "Military Village潮" introduces the impacts and transformations faced by military villages post-reform, integrating AR experiences to showcase the contrast between new and old military villages; the "Military Village Co-Living Base" hopes to create a platform for creators who love military village culture to share their works and will periodically hold workshops and performance events. In the future, the entire park will consist of 52 buildings in Mingde New Village after military reform, creating the largest cultural preservation park for military villages in Taiwan, shaping a cultural space unique to Taiwan's history, eliciting public resonance and attention to military village culture, and enhancing the public nature of preservation issues for military and local cultural heritage. It is hoped that "military village" will not remain a frozen term in time but will contribute to the preservation and application of cultural history in Taiwan, thus fostering an understanding of the diverse historical landscape of Taiwanese culture. For more information, you can search on Facebook for "Goodbye 886 - Taiwan Military Village Cultural Park" or call 07-5812886 for inquiries. Military Village Era Museum (original 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 Military District; in 1949, after the Republic of China government retreated from mainland China, the Zuoying military district became the First Military District, which brought many Navy personnel and their families into a state of "drifting." This period was marked by significant historical events, including the defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the outbreak of the Korean War, and renewed American support due to Taiwan's strategic location. In just a few years, the changing environment forced the Navy and military families to drift and adapt. This building, which once housed former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, is themed "Time Rewind: 1949" and invites the public to revisit the scene of arriving in Taiwan with suitcases and settling into military villages. It showcases the everyday life scenes of the military villages, such as living rooms, dining areas, and kitchens, with items like artillery shell ashtrays made in living rooms, medals, old suitcases, identification documents, and sweaters worn during retreats. The kitchen features a rice bin made from artillery boxes (formerly common reuse of military items in daily life), a coal stove (which was commonly used for cooking in early military villages), and jars for pickling vegetables prepared during evacuation. Various items from military village residents reflect the integrated lives of personnel and families, carrying different memories and traces of life while showcasing the migration history of that era. Military Village Club (original Mingde No. 4) Many military villages in Zuoying were planned within the military district, designated as controlled areas, requiring proof of residence for entry. Life and entertainment within the military village were not as monotonous as those outside. The crucial social spaces within military villages differ due to the characteristics of military branches, such as the "All Family Under One Roof" and "Zhongshan Hall" found in the Navy military district in Zuoying. This has become an alternative landscape filled with life in military villages. This building displays the "Two Things in Zuoying" theme, showcasing the literary and life experiences after arriving in Taiwan, rich with memories and honors from various families and life stages. The entrance is designed as a checkpoint for checking residence permits or waiting for military families’ visitors, leading to displays of daily essentials from military village life, such as the Zuoying military supplies certificates (which were allocation tickets for food in the military). Crossing through the checkpoint, visitors enter an important social place of Navy life. Additionally, during the military village era, military literature shone brightly in Taiwan's literary scene, recounting three important poets from the "Genesis Poetry Journal"—Lo Fu, Yu Hsien, and Zhang Mo—reflecting the American-style club culture introduced by the U.S. advisory group, military film arts, and the unique military literary atmosphere. Military Village潮 (original Mingde No. 11) This building showcases the theme "Two Skies," contrasting mainland China and Taiwan during the same era. After the Chinese Civil War, Taiwan rallied to form a consensus against communism, rallying calls such as "Anti-Communism and Anti-Russian," and promoting cultural revival movements to counter the opposing aspirations of "Liberation Taiwan" and the Cultural Revolution. It became a time when...
