Source:
https://scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3011612/taiwan-instagram-hot-spot-rainbow-village-and-how-its
Lifestyle/ Arts & Culture

Taiwan Instagram hot spot Rainbow Village and how its creator nearly lost it all

  • Rainbow Village, famous for its murals, has featured in Lonely Planet’s Secret Marvels of the World, and lists of the most Instagrammable places in Taiwan
  • Huang Yung-fu, 97, originally from Hong Kong, is the man behind the murals, and a mascot for the site – and was nearly a victim of his fame
Tourists capture as many images as possible on their visit to Rainbow Village in Taichung, Taiwan. Photo: Rachel Chung

It is a Monday morning during low season, but flocks of tourists wielding selfie sticks and cameras have arrived at Rainbow Village in Taichung, Taiwan. They move through the village snapping away, drawn to the bright, colourful murals that adorn its houses and walkways. One couple has even come dressed in a wedding gown and tuxedo.

Initially a local gem, Rainbow Village shot to fame after being featured in popular guidebooks such as Lonely Planet’s Secret Marvels of the World, and lists of the most Instagrammable places in Taiwan.

Huang Yung-fu, 97, is the creative brain behind the murals. He sits by a donation box and rainbow-themed merchandise stall.

“I am Rainbow Grandpa and the only one in this world,” says Huang, who has become a mascot for the site and, nearly, a victim of his fame.

Originally from Hong Kong, Huang can now recall his past only in snippets – “learning martial arts and lion dancing as a kid”, “living in Sai Wan Ho”, “joining the army at 17” and “flying the F-86 Sabre jet” – and constantly repeats himself in conversations. He was a member of the nationalist Kuomintang army during the Chinese civil war and fled to Taiwan along with other troops after its defeat in 1949.

Huang first picked up a paintbrush at the ripe old age of 88, drawing on the brick walls of his home in the military dependents’ village where he has lived among veterans for decades – but which was gradually being demolished by the government. As he extended his brush beyond his own walls and used the rest of the village as his canvas, the works grew into a fully fledged installation.

Rainbow Village in Taichung, Taiwan, is a fully fledged art installation. Photo: Rachel Chung
Rainbow Village in Taichung, Taiwan, is a fully fledged art installation. Photo: Rachel Chung

“I like to draw celebrities and sport stars,” says Huang, who graced the walls with some of the most well-known singers from his era, such as the late Fong Fei-fei and Pai Bing-bing.

The artworks, characterised by Huang’s use of dots and colours, caught the eye of students and staff from the neighbouring Ling Tung University, who organised social campaigns and successfully preserved part of the settlement in 2010. Huang and his wife are the only residents who remain.

The Instagram spot has since turned into a social media sensation, even getting its own designated bus stop. However, besides 1.5 million visitors each year, it also attracted the attention of an artist agent who wanted a piece of the pie.

A security guard escorts Huang Yung-fu, also known as Rainbow Grandpa, to his house. Photo: Rachel Chung
A security guard escorts Huang Yung-fu, also known as Rainbow Grandpa, to his house. Photo: Rachel Chung

Lin Zhunan, founder of Taiwanese website Artlib Net, tricked Huang into signing licensing contracts and sued Huang’s brother – who was the first to sign a licence agreement with Huang – for copyright of the artworks in 2017.

Though Lin eventually lost the court case, he dragged Huang and his family through the mud by speaking to tabloids and painting Huang’s brother as a greedy, estranged sibling exploiting his brother’s new-found fame.

Rainbow Creative, the company that now runs the tourist site and has taken care of Huang’s daily needs for the past eight years, released a statement in December, demanding an apology from Lin and his company. But it has not arrived, and Lin is embroiled in yet another lawsuit, accused by dozens of artists of scams.

Huang (centre) poses with tourists in Taitung. Photo: Rachel Chung
Huang (centre) poses with tourists in Taitung. Photo: Rachel Chung

By claiming to help them apply for government subsidies, KMT legislator Apollo Chen said in 2018, Lin misled artists into signing unfair contracts that grant him the copyright on all the works they produce in their lifetime.

Unable to wrap his head around the ordeal, Huang only grimaces, recalling how exhausting it was.

Now that it is over, he has settled back into his daily routine: a nap in the afternoon and painting at night when the tourists are gone. “Look,” he says, stretching out his stained fingers as proof.

Tourists enjoy the artwork at Rainbow Village. Photo: Rachel Chung
Tourists enjoy the artwork at Rainbow Village. Photo: Rachel Chung

The rest of the day is spent in his seat, where Huang poses for photos and hands out photocopies of his works to his eager fans.

“Let me return now,” he says, cutting short the interview, “or the tourists will be wondering where I’ve gone.”