About 10 years ago, a then-86-year-old Huang Yung-fu faced a predicament. The Taiwanese government was threatening to demolish his village, as he was the last remaining resident, in order to build a modern apartment complex. He was offered money to leave his own and reside elsewhere, but Huang simply could not imagine leaving the only home he had ever known in Taiwan. So, he started painting.
Affectionately known as “Rainbow Grandpa,” Huang was born in China. He fought in the Sino-Japanese War and World War II and fought for the Nationalist Party over Mao Zedong’s Communist government. When the Nationalists lost, he along with 2 million others fled to Taiwan. He was housed in a provisional village put together hastily for incoming members of the military and their families. What was meant to be a temporary solution eventually became home.
“When I came here, the village had 1,200 households and we’d all sit and talk like one big family,” Huang stated to BBC. “But then everyone moved away or passed away, and I became lonely.” With nowhere to go, he turned to art to ease his suffering.
First, he painted a small bird on his bungalow. Then cats, birds, and people that began flowing across the vacant buildings in the village were added. Then, in 2010, a local university student stumbled upon the village and after hearing Huang’s story, vowed to help. He took photographs of the village and began a fundraising campaign and petition to save it from destruction.
The news quickly went viral and “Rainbow Grandpa” was born. His colorful village became a huge draw for tourists and it continues to bring over a million visitors each year. Most importantly, Huang gets to keep his home.
“The government has promised me they will keep this house and this village,” he said. “I was so happy and thankful.”
