Pingtung Tobacco Factory 1936 Cultural Base Introduction
In the winter of 2021, the tobacco factory that once witnessed the glorious industrial history of Pingtung was reborn as the "Pingtung Tobacco Cultural Base 1936," embracing local memories and transforming into a new landmark of historical significance. Originally known as the "Pingtung Branch Leaf Tobacco Re-drying Plant," this cultural base was established in 1936 and was responsible for agricultural technical guidance, procurement, and storage of tobacco in the Pingtung area since the Japanese colonial period. After the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan in 1949, it was renamed the "Taiwan Provincial Tobacco and Alcohol Monopoly Bureau Pingtung Tobacco Processing Plant," and the planting area managed by the factory continuously expanded, surpassing the Chiayi and Hualien regions, and growing even more than Taichung. In 1953, the Pingtung Tobacco Processing Plant officially merged to establish a cigarette rolling department, and it was renamed the "Taiwan Provincial Tobacco and Alcohol Monopoly Bureau Pingtung Tobacco Factory." In December 1965, the cigarette rolling department was abolished, and the factory resumed its primary work of drying and processing tobacco leaves. With the increasing demand for business, the entire factory area covers approximately 4.2 hectares, marking an era when Pingtung led Taiwan in rice, sugar cane, and tobacco. However, due to the abolition of the monopoly system, anti-smoking policies, and the opening up of competition from foreign tobacco products, domestic tobacco production gradually declined, and the Pingtung Tobacco Factory stopped operating in October 2002, with administrative functions transferred to the Neipu Tobacco Factory. In the 20 years following its closure, the Pingtung County Government conducted an in-depth review of the historical development, architectural space utilization, and cultural asset value of the tobacco factory. In 2010, the county government registered the factory's leaf processing area, re-drying processing area, boiler room, and Zhongshan Hall as historical buildings and initiated restoration and reuse projects. In order to fully capture the significance of the industrial heritage, the entire factory area was expanded and registered as a historical building in 2017. Under the consensus of the government, scholars from various fields, and the public, the "Pingtung County Great Museum Project" was born, using the iconic tobacco factory in Pingtung's industrial history as a base for cultural nurturing. Through strategies such as "telling the story of Pingtung through industry," "depicting the soul of Pingtung through art," and "allowing children to create the future of Pingtung," the project plans to establish the "Pingtung Tobacco Museum," "Pingtung Hakka Museum," "Pingtung Indigenous People’s Museum," "Immersive Experience Hall," "Pingtung County Art Museum," "Pingtung County Collection Storage," and more. With the museum's expertise, it aims to preserve and promote local knowledge and serve as a platform for integrating and collaborating on cultural and artistic resources, fostering a dynamic, open, and sustainable spirit to inherit, interpret, perform, and create the cultural charm of Pingtung with the citizens. The "Pingtung Tobacco Cultural Base 1936" is expected to open in phases, with the first phase including the Tobacco Museum, Hakka Museum, Immersive Hall, special exhibition spaces, and commercial spaces. In the future, through diverse exhibitions and activities, it will cultivate a branded Pingtung County Museum, thereby establishing local cultural confidence, deepening the relationship between residents and the land, and becoming a cultural pioneer and support for Pingtung County's stable and prosperous future on the world stage.
