Taiwan's oldest 'Juancun' village turned into tourist site

Renovated with blue stones, tiles and wooden beams in its original architectural style, the oldest "Juancun" village in Taiwan was unveiled Wednesday as a tourist site in Penghu County, an archipelago situated off the west coast of Taiwan.

Local authorities said the move aims to utilize the unique cultural resource of "Juancun" villages, or military dependents' villages that were originally built to house military soldiers and their kindred who retreated to Taiwan from the Chinese mainland in the middle of the 20th century.

These villages used to be widely seen across Taiwan, but they have gradually become abandoned as the residents move into new buildings. Many of the villages have since been torn down, while a few others have been preserved as cultural sites.

Lai Feng-wei, magistrate of Penghu, said at the ceremony that the scenic zone is also close to several other established tourist sites in the county, which hopefully can bring fresh new travel experiences.

Administrators of the site, named the Penghu Bay Resort, said "Juancun" villages are an important historical and cultural memory of Penghu, where many locals grew up in, including famous singers.

"We have attached importance to the preservation and utilization of 'Juancun' culture over the years, collecting many elements that can reflect the inheritance of the Chinese culture, such as the Spring Festival couplets," said Hung Chi-kuang, deputy director of the scenic area administration of Penghu.