Hualien Sugar Factory Introduction
In 1913, the "East Taiwan Sugar Manufacturing Co., Ltd." established the "Hualien Port Sugar Factory" in Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, also known as the "Liuyuanwei Sugar Factory." In 1921, another factory, the "Dahuo Factory," was set up in Guangfu Township to expand sugar production. Towards the end of World War II, both sugar factories were damaged by Allied forces. After the war, the Taiwan Sugar Corporation took over and decided to dismantle the heavily damaged Shoufeng Factory while restoring the Dahuo Factory, renaming it Hualien Sugar Factory, which became the center of sugar production in Eastern Taiwan. Although the sugar factory is located in Guangfu Township, it is commonly referred to as "Guangfu Sugar Factory," while "Hualien Sugar Factory" is its official name. Over the decades, Hualien Sugar Factory has undergone expansions and upgrades, significantly enhancing sugar production and quality. To supply the raw materials necessary for sugar production, vast sugarcane fields can be seen from Xincheng Township in the north to Fuli Township in the south, creating a unique landscape in the Hualien-Taitung Valley. In addition to producing granulated sugar, the ice cream division of Hualien Sugar Factory is also very popular for its various flavors of popsicles and ice cream, making "having ice at the sugar factory" a delightful shared memory for both tourists and locals. In 2002, due to prolonged low international sugar prices and the impact of joining the WTO, Taiwan Sugar Corporation decided to cease its 80-plus years of sugar production at Hualien Sugar Factory and shift towards tourism and leisure development. Building on its existing ice cream business, it planned to establish a sugar cultural park as its core, providing guided tours for visitors, along with a Japanese-style dormitory area, creative workshops, and development of organic rice and leisure industries, integrating bicycle routes, surrounding tourist attractions, and the Dano and Dafu Plain Forest Park to create a linear tourism route and attractions, attracting visitors to the area. The original corridor-style bachelor dormitories have been renovated into creative workshops, now serving as a platform for community art exchange and course teaching, providing DIY courses and art exhibit sales for visitors. Additionally, the factory sells homemade lemongrass essential oils and lemongrass soap gift sets produced by farm staff, cultivated using organic farming methods without any artificial fragrances in the manufacturing process, making them ideal souvenirs for tourists available in the creative workshops. Adjacent to Hualien Sugar Factory are rows of well-preserved Japanese wooden structures, which are among the few remaining Japanese wooden buildings in Taiwan. These cypress wood buildings were originally employee dormitories built during the Japanese colonial period and have been well maintained over the decades, exuding a strong nostalgic charm. In line with the development policy for chimney-free tourism industries in Hualien County, the renovated Japanese-style inn at Hualien Tourist Sugar Factory officially began operations on January 24, 2011, after obtaining a general hotel license, offering diverse accommodation options for visitors. The accommodations at Taiwan Sugar Hualien Tourist Hotel include Japanese-style wooden houses (double rooms) and family wooden houses (triple rooms). Each guest room features independent parking spaces and courtyards, with wooden flooring and tatami mats, paper sliding doors, and bedding cabinets, presenting an authentic Japanese aesthetic. The bathroom in the family triple room contains a handcrafted cypress wooden bathtub and water ladle, allowing guests to enjoy the experience of soaking in a cypress tub. Experience the serene beauty of Japanese culture and escape the stresses of the urban jungle. Hualien Tourist Sugar Factory warmly invites you to stay and experience the elegance and charm of Japanese wooden houses!
