Hsinchu City Military Dependents’ Villages Museum in northern Taiwan preserves a special chapter of history.
A visit to Hsinchu City Military Dependents’ Villages Museum in northern Taiwan reveals part of a fascinating chapter of history that once played out behind the scenes in every major city across the country.
Hsinchu used to have 47 such villages, which were built between 1950 and 1973 to accommodate troops and their family members. Consisting primarily of single-story units, they functioned as satellite camps of military bases and were largely independent of the outside world. Children attended schools with other students from the same settlement. To get by in daily life, necessities like rice, salt and cooking oil were sent directly to villages; clothes were fashioned from old uniforms; and cookware was forged from scrap aluminum sourced from the nearby base.
In 1996, the Ministry of National Defense decided to convert the villages into high-rise public housing, forever altering the vibrant atmosphere as residents previously a shout away became separated by multiple floors.
For those wishing to witness the villages’ former glory, old utensils, photos and other items on display at the museum give a glimpse into what life was like for the people dwelling in them. Though the close-knit sense of community at the core of village culture has been lost to time, the museum is ensuring that the settlements’ historical legacy lives on.
—by Jim Hwang
Ammunition cases double as luggage for personal belongings when Nationalist troops and their dependents withdrew from China to Taiwan in the 1940s.
Vouchers are exchanged for daily necessities like rice, flour, salt and cooking oil sent to the villages by the military.
Record players are a luxury for village residents.
A lamp made from transmission gear exemplifies the many household items fabricated using scrap materials from military bases.
Photos in the museum document what life was like in the villages.
A collection of military issue items
A noodle press reflects the self-sufficiency of villagers, who cook in a range of styles, as they come from all parts of China.
The museum preserves the look of military dependents’ villages but cannot capture the original sense of community.