[Taichung 台中 ☼ DayTrip日游] Wufeng 霧峰 : Guangfu Village 光復新村 @ Lynda's Taiwan-logue

< Visited in Jul 2019 >

Guangfu Village 光复新村, a highly anticipated destination in my Wufeng day trip for my love of old "military towns", is accessible by bus to Keng Kou Li 坑口里 (a mere 6 stops from Wufeng Market 雾峰市场, where I had a hearty breakfast). In the heat of 1950s' political tension with the mainland, the KMT government relocated some provincial offices to central Taiwan. Guangfu Village 光復新村 became one such housing site for public servants and their families. As recent as 2009, there were still some households residing here, until its officially becoming a cultural site in 2012. The Guangfu Village 光復新村we see now is a base for young entrepreneurs, home to cultural workshops, retail and F&B.

From its nearest bus stop Keng Kou Li 坑口里 , Google Maps guided me across the road and into a lane.

The weather was fine for a lovely morning stroll, boosted by quiet and rustic neighbourhood vibes, quite different from the bustle at Wufeng Market 雾峰市场. I spotted a zone reminiscent of an old military town beside a church, but it was not my destination. What we see here and later at Guangfu Village are typical "military villages" or 眷村, though likely more spacious in Taichung than what is currently conserved at Taipei's Military Families Community Park 四四南村. Despite being uninhabited and serving as a random carpark, the area looked fairly clean and maintained - I can only guess this is state property and conserved for future use.

Past the quiet zone and reaching a bazaar of sorts (which I didn't see upclose this time), Guangfu Village 光復新村 is diagonally opposite.

A large directory was well-placed, marking the current occupants. Being a weekday, some of the units were not opened (while some, such as private workshops, are simply not for public walk-ins). From their FB, I knew there would be units in business on weekdays, while allowing me to avoid possible weekend (and IG) crowd. The whole area is well-structured, spacious and diligently maintained. I personally feel it deserves more recognition as an attraction, not only among locals but also making an appealing one for travellers.

At a prominent corner of Guangfu Village 光復新村 was my first rest station - Miao Village 猫叫村.

Manned by a lone cafe manager, whom I assumed was happy to see her only customer that noon, we chatted for a while before I chose a quiet seat inside (versus the counter) so as not to hold up her work and to give myself time to space out.

The simple menu was more extensive than I expected, though I was only ready for a drink.

⇩ I Love Tabby 我爱虎斑 - basically iced latte. Aware of their cat affiliation from their FB, the kind cafe owners feed the resident felines and are involved in cat welfare and rehoming, which motivated me to pop by and support them. Pity about not spotting any feline resident this time. Browsing their collection of cat titles over my soothing latte (quite a mean fix by the cafe manager), believe it or not, I actually dozed off in that cosy and relaxing space.

As reluctant as I was, I had to make a move to explore the rest of Guangfu Village 光復新村.

A very rustic looking bus stop, bringing travellers back in time... to those days when public servants staying in the hood commuted to work?

An owl-themed zone...

⇩ Luceo Cafe 鲁西欧 - another popular cafe here (which unfortunately I didn't have any space left in my tummy for).

⇩ Jungle Find 丛林找 - selling merchandise with lovely hand-illustrated designs inspired by Taiwan's nature. Bagged some bookmarks and postcards while seeking refuge from sudden shortlived rain, kindly offered by the friendly store manager. (There is also a small shop cum cafe next door, which I didn't patronise this time.)

Back in the outdoors and reaching the other end of the village...
Before I forget, do have your mozzie spray on hand, especially post-rain.

⇩ 面粉遇见水, literally translated as 'When flour meets water' - an iconic noodle restaurant here serving just a handful of Taiwanese mazesoba 台湾干拌面 options on their menu. If the village looked empty while I was there, this restaurant was packed when I walked past, dismissing my possibility of a quick bite.

While admiring the old houses and greenary, an enthusiastic caretaker directed me to apparently rare trees at this yard.

My stroll at Guangfu Village 光復新村 was about done by this point, 3 hours since I arrived. Saving the "best" for last, there is a pack of dogs here, presumably taken care of by some unit owners. Roaming free, most of them appeared wary of - and a couple of them barked at - strangers and kept a safe distance. Even when I squatted and stretched an arm (from a safe distance) to convey my greeting, none was friendly enough to approach for a headscratch. I contended with photographing them chilling in the cool afternoon. If you have a fear of larger dogs or have children in tow, do keep a distance from these canine residents.