Eco-friendly facelift – Old-fashioned community rises from the dead

Located in Taichung’s Dadu Community, the village of Zhebu has gradually declined over the years. Witnessing this, local community manager of Liquan, Chen Da-cheng (陳達成), decided it was time for a change and began promoting “environmental protection” to households throughout the community. Today, Liquan Community is endearingly known to the outside world as “Windmill Town,” which is a form of recognition in itself. Locals have installed bicycle generators beside local pavilions where residents enjoy gathering after dinner in the evenings, promoting community exchange and helping to do a little bit for the environment. 

Liquan residents have used all kinds of discarded items and eco-friendly materials to create a whole new look for their community; for example, one family embellished their door with an eco-friendly couplet full of moral meaning, which not only shows the residents’ expectation toward their own home, but also attracts the attention of many people outside the community. Liquan is a place simply brimming with interesting features such as discarded motorcycle helmets being transformed into rain catchers, creating a friendly community environment where even chance meetings with neighbors while washing hands generates nice chats. Another interesting element of Liquan is water faucets shaped into the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, which apart from being the water source for locals, provide some aesthetic pleasure.

The concept of environmental protection has facilitated cohesiveness within the community and been incorporated into the lives of local residents. In 2000, Liquan Community began promoting the development of local characteristics, and in 2005, won an exemplary award from the Ministry of the Interior’s Eco-Community Demonstration Program. Since that time, the community has also received numerous other awards in many national community competitions. Transforming itself from a worn-out old community, Liquan Community has used the concept of environmental protection to announce itself to the world.

Eco-friendly facelift – Old-fashioned community rises from the dead

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/337165

(以下是中文對照)

環保材料翻新 老舊社區起死回生

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台中大肚區的蔗廍村隨著時代的演進逐漸沒落，當地立全社區的總幹事陳達成認為該有所改變，以「環保」做為基礎，推廣至社區家家戶戶。現在「風車之鄉」是外界對於立全社區的美稱，同時也是種肯定。居民們在涼亭旁設置了腳踏車用來發電，特別是在晚飯過後，一群民眾聚集在此，除了促進感情交流外，更為環保盡了一份心力。

立全社區利用各種廢棄或環保材料重新打造社區風貌，將家門前都重新裝飾過了一番。例如，一戶居民住家裝飾著富含寓意的「門聯」，除了是居民們對於自己家的期許外，特別的外觀也吸引了參觀民眾們的注意，而廢棄安全帽製成雨撲滿也讓這個社區充滿友善，有時只是洗個手就可以順便到鄰居家串門子。富含特色的生肖水龍頭也是社區的特色之一，除了美觀之外，更是平常居民們取水的來源。

社區居民因「環保」而有了凝聚力。環保的概念已然融入了居民們的生活當中。立全社區從2000年以來便開始推動發展地方特色，2005年時更獲得了營建署生態社區示範計畫的典範殊榮，之後也陸陸續續地獲得了許多全國性社區比賽的各個獎項。從一開始的老舊社區發展至今，立全社區利用環保作為特點，讓世界看見屬於他們的一片天。