Saturday, August 17th
We boarded the 9:15 train for Taichung. Destination: Rainbow Village (彩虹眷村).
Rainbow Village has a unique history. It all began when Mr. Huang, a veteran living in hastily made housing for the Kuomintang soldiers after the civil war, saw that his home was about to be torn down. He began painting his home, and a few other surrounding buildings, beautiful, vibrant colors. He filled the walls with children, animals and anything else he could dream up. When his artwork was discovered by local college students, people began to flock to the tiny "village" to see his art. As the fame grew, pressure rose for the government to cease demolishing the area. Eventually the government caved and now the "Rainbow Grandpa" and the village that he created are known island wide.
The moment you arrive, you can understand the draw. Despite only being a tiny cluster of houses, the village stands out from the surrounding buildings like a diamond among coal. It is a photographer and instagrammers heaven, as literally every nook and cranny are filled with wonderful, fantasmal images.
Going through Rainbow Village could take about 10-15 minutes if you sped through. We stayed for an hour. We spent the time soaking up all of the wonderful details of the paintings, taking a gajillion photos and exploring the gift shop, where you can buy various items like umbrellas, fans and postcards all decorated with the replicas of the paintings.
I would recommend going fairly early or on a weekday, although you will likely run into crowds at anytime. But the weekend is going to be packed for sure. Be prepared to elbow your way to the front of a line to get the perfect shot.
I would definitely recommend visiting the Rainbow Village if you happen to be near Taichung for a couple of days. It is easily a morning activity that can be followed up by checking out what else Taichung has to offer. Also, visiting is free. Although I can't speak for all the gifts and keepsakes you will end up buying. Overall, this place does a perfect job of adding color to any trip.
