Pingtung Tobacco Plant 1936 Cultural Base Introduction
In the winter of 2021, the tobacco leaf factory, which witnessed the glorious history of Pingtung's industry, was reborn with a new identity as "Pingtung Tobacco Cultural Base 1936," carrying local memories and transforming into a historically significant new landmark. The cultural base, formerly known as Pingtung Tobacco Leaf Factory, was established in 1936 under the name "Pingtung Branch Leaf Tobacco Re-Drying Plant," responsible for guiding agricultural techniques, purchasing, and processing storage in the Pingtung tobacco region since the Japanese colonial period. After the Republic of China government moved to Taiwan in 1949, it was renamed "Taiwan Provincial Tobacco and Alcohol Monopoly Bureau Pingtung Tobacco Leaf Processing Factory," with the area of tobacco cultivation continuously expanding, surpassing Chiayi and Hualien, and growing faster than Taichung. In 1953, the Pingtung Tobacco Processing Factory was officially merged and the cigarette-making department was established, changing its name to "Taiwan Provincial Tobacco and Alcohol Monopoly Bureau Pingtung Tobacco Leaf Factory." In December 1965, the cigarette-making department was abolished, and the factory resumed focusing on the drying and processing of tobacco leaves. As the factory expanded its facilities to meet business demands over the years, the entire area covered approximately 4.2 hectares, marking the era when Pingtung led Taiwan in rice, sugarcane, and tobacco. However, due to the abolition of the monopoly system, anti-smoking policies, and competition from imported tobacco products, domestic tobacco production declined yearly, leading to the cessation of operations at the Pingtung Tobacco Leaf Factory in October 2002, with administrative duties transferred to the Neipu Tobacco Factory. Over the 20 years following its closure, the Pingtung County Government conducted an in-depth review of the factory's historical development, architectural space utilization, and cultural asset value. In 2010, the county government registered the de-boning processing area, the re-drying processing area, the boiler room, and Zhongshan Hall as historical buildings and initiated a restoration and reuse project. To fully retain the significance of this industrial heritage, the entire factory area was expanded and registered as a historical building in 2017. With consensus among the government, scholars from various fields, and the public, the "Pingtung County Grand Museum Project" was born, utilizing the representative tobacco leaf factory as a cultural incubation base. Strategies such as "telling Pingtung's stories through industry," "depicting Pingtung's spirit through art," and "allowing children to create Pingtung's future" were planned, leading to the establishment of the "Pingtung Tobacco Museum," "Pingtung Hakka Museum," "Pingtung Indigenous Peoples Museum," "Immersive Experience Hall," "Pingtung County Art Museum," and "Pingtung County Collection Storage." Through the expertise of the museum, local knowledge is preserved and promoted, serving as a platform for integrating and collaborating cultural resources. With a dynamic, open, and sustainable spirit, the local community is engaged in inheriting, interpreting, performing, and creating the cultural charm of Pingtung together. The "Pingtung Tobacco Cultural Base 1936" is expected to open in phases, with the first phase including the tobacco museum, Hakka museum, immersive experience hall, exhibition space, and commercial space. In the future, through diverse displays and activities, a branded Pingtung County Museum will be developed, establishing local cultural confidence, deepening residents' relationship with the land, and becoming a cultural vanguard and support for Pingtung County's prosperous living and foothold in the world.
