Changhua Zhongxingzhuang Story House Opens; AI Revives Military Dependent Village Life

(Central News Agency, reporter Wu Zhehao, Changhua, 10th) The Zhongxingzhuang Military Dependent Village Cultural Park Story House in Changhua County opened today. The Story House is divided into Hall 1 and Hall 2. Hall 1 introduces the arduous process of the residents migrating to Taiwan, while Hall 2 focuses on technological art, using AI artificial intelligence technology to recreate the life and historical scenes of the military dependent village.

According to data from the Changhua County Cultural Heritage website, the Changhua Zhongxingzhuang Military Dependent Village was established in 1950 (Republic Year 39) and is the oldest military dependent village in Changhua County. Initially, it housed about 110 households, with the first-generation residents all being officers, soldiers, and their families from the Qingdao Security Brigade in Shandong. The county government registered Zhongxingzhuang as a historical building in 2010 (Republic Year 99). Considering the site's characteristics and disaster prevention needs, the registration was adjusted to a settlement building group in 2021 (Republic Year 110). Resources were also sought from the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Culture to promote restoration and reuse plans.

An opening ceremony for the Zhongxingzhuang Military Dependent Village Cultural Park Story House was held today, attended by Changhua County Magistrate Wang Huimei and Changhua County Director of the Cultural Heritage Bureau, Chang Yu-chuang. In her speech, Magistrate Wang stated that after years of restoration, the Zhongxingzhuang Military Dependent Village Cultural Park was completed in March of this year. She thanked the Ministry of National Defense for a subsidy of NT$34 million, the Ministry of Culture for a subsidy of NT$84.5 million, and noted that the county government self-raised NT$151 million, bringing the total restoration cost to approximately NT$270 million.

Magistrate Wang pointed out that the Story House is divided into Hall 1 and Hall 2. Hall 1 introduces the original residents' arduous migration process in 1950, leading visitors back to that difficult yet resilient era. Hall 2 focuses on technological art, using AI technology to recreate the life and historical scenes of the military village. Additionally, on the second floor of Hall 1, AR technology is used to display various moves of broadsword martial arts, providing visitors with an immersive exhibition experience. The "Hope Hill 360-degree" model area in the museum recreates the outline and appearance of Zhongxingzhuang, which is well worth experiencing.

Chang Yu-chuang pointed out that Zhongxingzhuang is one of 13 military dependent village cultural preservation areas in Taiwan. After the restoration is complete, Zhongxingzhuang can connect with nearby Bagua Mountain attractions. He welcomed the public to visit Zhongxingzhuang and personally experience the unique charm of this military village.

The Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that the park is currently using the "Promotion of Private Participation in Public Construction" (ROT) model to bring in professional teams. In the future, it will introduce military village-style accommodation, cultural and creative shops, art exhibitions, guided walking tours, and community integration activities. The park will first open 30% of its space for a trial operation at the end of June, with full operations scheduled for December. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150610