96 -Year- Old Self Taught Artist Saves His Village With Art
The Nantun district was set up as temporary housing for over 1,200 former soldiers. Over time, most of the soldiers moved out as developers moved in and started buying up the land. However, a few soldiers made it their permanent residence. Former soldier Huang Yung-Fu is one of those soldiers. As the government started selling more and more of the land, Huang was on the verge of losing his home.
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| Image credits: seplaire |
Huang watched many of his friends move out and pass away, and with the daily threats of knocking down his home, Huang became overwhelmed and felt very alone. He needed an outlet. One evening, he pulled out a paintbrush and started painting inside his home. He said It was calming. Eventually, he brought that love of colorful art outside and started painting his home with bright colors, playful figures, abstract animals, and cute little critters.
His art caught the attention of the locals and one local, a student would change Huang's life forever.
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| BBC Travel Gallery |
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| Image credits: allanlau2000 |
"Every morning, Huang Yung-fu flips on a light, shuffles out of his two-room bungalow in sandals and carries a handful of paint tins into the streets outside. While the city around him sleeps, Huang crouches on a stool for three hours and quietly decorates the drab cement walls, pavement and windows with an explosion of playful murals in kaleidoscopic colours."
Every year, 11 million Tourists from all over the world come to see the "Rainbow village" that Huang has created and take a picture with the one and only "Rainbow Grandpa" himself.
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| Image credits: Steven Barrin |
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| Image credits: i_am_iroha |
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| Image credits: viajaentusofa |