When the People's Republic of China (PRC) was established in on 1 October 1949, many thousands of military personnel retreated to Taiwan with Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. They, and their families, intended to "return to the mainland" when the Kuomintang (KMT) recovered mainland China. But it never happened. But the dwellings the refugees lived in were temporary. Most of these temporary military villages were demolished, but Four Four South Village remains, as an echo of times past.

In 1949, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek led his loyal troops from mainland China to Taiwan, from whence they were to retake the mainland at some unspecified time in the future. The soldiers and their families had to be housed, but because they were only in Taiwan "temporarily" the housing was very low grade. As it happened, Chiang never returned to the mainland and eventually the soldiers and their families were rehoused in better accommodation. Four Four South is one of the few military villages remaining. It's not pretty, but it was never intended to be. In its rush to develop into a modern society, Taiwan did away with much of its history. Quaint, even shabby, Four Four South Village may be, it is a reminder of how primitive Taiwan once was.