The Rainbow Village of Taiwan

My wife's cousin is going to Taiwan on Monday and I told her to check out this cool tiny settlement in Taichung. It's called Rainbow Village, a community built for retired soldiers after World War II, but has become a distinctive tourist attraction, thanks to the transformation brought about by Huang Yung-fu's vibrant murals.

The streets and the walls of practically every house in this neighborhood are covered with paintings of colorful figures, from birds and animals to celebrities and cultural minorities. Considering the fact that Huang, who is now 93 years old, began painting only five years ago, his work is pretty impressive.

AFP's Laura Mannering has written an interesting piece about the enthusiastic war veteran:

"The settlement in the Nantun district of Taichung City once comprised 1,200 homes for veterans and their families.

But as the decades-old accommodation became run-down, developers snapped up the land and residents were offered Tw$2 million ($61,000) compensation or new housing.

Huang has lived there for 37 years, staying even after his neighbours abandoned their homes and only 11 houses remained.

That's when he decided to paint."

Read the full story here.

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