Wu Fu Yang Sock Story Museum Introduction
Wu Fu Yang Knitting was established in 1936 during the Japanese colonial period, and for 85 years has focused on sock manufacturing. Unlike the typical division of labor in sock production, Wu Fu Yang controls the entire process from raw materials, design, weaving to sales, ensuring quality standards are upheld without relying on others. To date, over 100 million pairs of socks have been produced, and if they were linked together, they could wrap around the Earth once. In the 1930s, Taiwan did not have any specialized sock weaving factories. The first chairman, Wu Nai Yang, saw a business opportunity and imported the most advanced hand-operated sock knitting machines from abroad, hiring skilled craftsmen from Shanghai to teach the manufacturing of high-quality stocking. This marked the beginning of the Wu family's connection with socks. Wu Nai Yang named the company "Wu Fu Yang" by combining one character from both his and his father's names to commemorate his ancestors and to acknowledge his roots. From hand-operated sock machines, the sock industry has evolved through semi-automated systems to fully automated processes, incorporating the latest in eco-friendly and functional materials, as well as brand development, thus participating in the history of Taiwan's sock industry. The third-generation operator, Wu Hong Chou, hopes to establish a sock cultural museum to preserve the development of Taiwan's sock industry and the history of Wu Fu Yang. "While our competitors have shifted operations to China, we remain committed to maintaining our roots in Taiwan. We aim to open up the sock weaving process, encourage public participation, and provide a blend of entertainment and educational environment for industry learning, hoping to offer tourists a rich experiential journey and contribute to Taiwan’s sock industry."
