In Qingshui stands a well-preserved Military Dependents’ Village Cultural Park (清水眷村文化園區), surrounded by rice fields, with buildings that can be entered (beware of collapse and snake hazards!).
(Glorious times – were gone)
(The structures are still clearly recognizable, but the gnawing tooth of time is not very patient.)
Its history dates back to 1938, serving as accommodations for employees of a military factory. As the residents aged, the village was abandoned in 1995 and fell into disrepair.
The simple lifestyle of the soldiers in the single-story buildings is evident, particularly because parts of the village are situated on a self-contained street. Initially, not every house had running water, and water sources had to be shared, similar to the situation with toilets. Some of the interior furnishings, including altars, contribute to the overall picture.
Parts are being transformed into a cultural park, so a little bit boring. The city is restoring some buildings with Chinese explanations, and there is a museum, featuring some comic characters. The area around the park is part of the Chingshui Zhong-She archaeological site, which was first discovered in 1997, leading to the demolition of some houses for research purposes. It is a representative site of the Fanziyuan Culture from the Metal Age.
It is part of a larger restoration project, so visitors interested in its morbid charm should plan their visit soon.
(Copyright Claudius Petzold)
