"Grandpa Rainbow" Huang Yongfu, famous for his solo painting of "Rainbow Village", passed away in Taichung on the 23rd at the age of 101.
When the news came out, many Taiwanese people felt sad and regretful, and thanked the grandfather for adding beauty to the local villages and allowing the old military villages to be renovated and preserved.
Rainbow Village, located in Nantun District, Taichung City, attracts a large number of tourists every year.
Image source: China Times News Network
According to Taiwanese media reports, Huang Yongfu suffered from chronic diseases such as diabetes and gout. He suddenly lost breathing and heartbeat at home on the afternoon of the 23rd. He still died after being sent to the hospital for rescue.
The police in the jurisdiction stated that Huang Yongfu was old and died of natural causes.
Huang Yongfu, the "Grandpa Rainbow" who built the Rainbow Village, passed away on the 23rd.
Image source: United News Network
Huang Yongfu was born in Taishan, Guangdong in 1924. He practiced martial arts and played seven-star drums since he was a child. During the Anti-Japanese War, he responded to the call to join the army. After settling in Taiwan, he ended up in a military dependents' village in Chun'an Lane, Nantun District, Taichung City.
The so-called military dependents' village is a unique settlement form in Taiwan.
Around 1949, Kuomintang soldiers and their dependents from all over the mainland arrived in Taiwan across the sea. In order to meet the personnel's housing needs, military dependent villages were built one after another.
These villages, which retain the customs and customs from all over the mainland, have gradually developed a unique military culture.
At its peak, there were more than 800 military dependent villages distributed throughout Taiwan, including Taipei, Taoyuan, and Taichung.
The colorful and childlike paintings add vitality to the old military village. During holidays, a large number of people come to visit and check in.
Image source: China Times News Network
In 2008, Huang Yongfu, who was reluctant to abandon the demolition of the old military village and had no art background, began to paint with paint on the walls and floors of his home and nearby buildings based on pictures and photos in newspaper supplements, creating many lively and interesting characters and paintings. Animal images, colorful and childlike paintings added vitality to the military community and attracted attention from the outside world. The colorful village was called the "Rainbow Military Village", and Huang Yongfu also earned the title of "Rainbow Grandpa".
In the end, with the hard work of people from all walks of life, the Rainbow Village was preserved.
Today, Rainbow Military Village is not only a must-see attraction for many Taiwanese tourists visiting Taichung, but it has also become popular overseas.
The internationally renowned travel guide "Lonely Planet" lists it as one of the world's attractions worth visiting, attracting a large number of tourists every year.
After becoming famous, Huang Yongfu still paints in the village. When he meets tourists, he is willing to interact and take photos, which is very popular among the people.
The "Rainbow Village" located in Nantun District, Taichung City, is a well-known check-in spot for Internet celebrities.
Image source: Central News Agency
However, in recent years, civil and criminal lawsuits have occurred in Rainbow Village due to disputes over management rights and copyrights. Huang Yongfu was exhausted physically and mentally due to the disputes, and the buildings were old, so he moved out of the village in 2021 and stayed with his family in the village. Living nearby, life is not well-off, and suffers from many chronic diseases and is in poor health.
After the news of his death came out, people in the local art and literary circles were in mourning.
Taichung Mayor Lu Xiuyan posted a condolence message on social media, thanking Grandpa Huang Yongfu for decorating Taichung with colorful colors and bringing glory. The city government will do its best to protect the existing paintings and continue the warmth of Grandpa Rainbow.
The Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that a commemorative area will be set up in Rainbow Village at the end of January, allowing visitors to pay tribute to the beautiful memories left by Grandpa Rainbow.
Author: Nanxing