When Huang Yong-Fu learned that the village he had lived in for decades was about to be demolished, elderly Taiwanese decided to take drastic measures to save it.
Huang is the last resident of a community that was once home to 1,200 families, mostly veterans of Chinese nationalism who were defeated by the communist regime of Mao Zedong, says Colossal.
In the mid-2000s, property developers had bought up lots of land from locals so they could demolish the neighborhood, but Huang disagreed. Refusing monetary compensation and new accommodation, the old man found himself alone in the village. Most of the houses had been demolished by then, only a dozen buildings remained.
In order not to go crazy with loneliness and boredom, the former soldier began to paint his house, then the neighbors. Walls, roofs and paths became canvases for colorful Chinese characters and folk motifs.
Juan’s community became known as Rainbow Village and he became known as Rainbow’s Grandpa. In 2010, a student from the local university came across the colorful houses of Juan and spoke to the world of Rainbow Village.
Today, it is visited by more than a million tourists every year, which is why the Taiwanese government has decided to keep the village intact.
