The New Matsu Village has been lauded as the "Taoyuan General Village"; it was not named because the residents came from Matsu, but back in those days, when the former First Lady Soong Mei-Ling, wife of President Chiang went to visit Matsu with the labor corps, she wanted to reassure the soldiers stationed on the front lines that their dependents would be cared for, the New Matsu Village was built.
The first phase of the military dependents' hostel was completed in 1957, and they are allocated to 84 army major-general level officers and lower ranking officers, as well as their dependents; it was also the first military dependents' village in Longgang. From the originally planned 76 households, the number of residents had expanded to 226 households. The roads were constructed based on a checkerboard design along with the fish-bone design of hostel layout, which created a unique residential space with stand-alone units. Within the community, activity centers, assembly halls, community parks, lawns, sports fields, pavilions, and other public facilities were gradually added which formed a self-sufficient, semi-closed-off military dependents' village. In 1998, it was selected as the national model community, providing the community with a boost of confidence.
Taoyuan is not a region in Taiwan where there is a heavy concentration of military dependents' villages, but it is one of the main regions where the culture preservation of military dependents' village is taken very seriously. The formation of military dependents' villages plays an important role in the transformation of history, it can be said that from the buildings to the customs and traditions, these are all irreplaceable culture and lifestyle heritages. Therefore when local residents gradually moved to the renovated Luguang Fifth Village, the Department of Cultural Affairs of Taoyuan City Government began to promote the preservation of military dependents' villages. New Matsu Village is the second military dependents' village in Taiwan preserved under the "Cultural Heritage Preservation Act" after Sisinan Village of Taipei. In 2004, it was listed as a historical site and elevated to the status of a cultural heritage. Later on it was selected by the Ministry of National Defense as one of the 13 military dependents' village cultural preservation areas in Taiwan; it is also the first military dependents' village to be preserved under the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. When compared to other military dependents' villages in Taoyuan, New Matsu Village is recreated through a "museum-like" model. From the various angles such as military dependents' village cultural preservation and revitalization, as well as cultural creative film promotion, the Military Dependents' Village Cultural Creative Space, New Matsu Village was founded. Apart from hosting events such as film festivals and military dependents' village culture festivals, the activity center of New Matsu Village was converted into the "Taoyuan Film Museum". The museum can seat 76 audience members in the Dolby surround sound cinema. Worth mentioning is that the assembly hall from back in the days has been preserved to become the film screening location where classic Taiwanese films and museum cultural exhibitions are held, so that military dependents' village preservation can become even more lively.
To rejuvenate the previously forgotten military dependents' village space, cultural creative markets will be held at Matsu New Village regularly, and artist will be invited to come and station there. So when visitors walk amongst the historical buildings with black roof tiles, brick walls, and the red and while gates, they will be reminded of their childhood, as if they are back in the village visiting their friends and neighbors nearby and once again experience the warmth of the community.
