Beimen Tiangong Temple Introduction
Beimen Bromine Tower, during wartime, was a munitions manufacturing factory where bromine served as an important chemical raw material, widely used in flame retardants, fire extinguishers, refrigerants, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. During the war, the Japanese colonial empire extracted bromine from concentrated seawater or bittern due to the demand for explosives in fuels for military aircraft. Since the production raw materials came from bittern generated in salt fields, similar munitions manufacturing factories were built near salt fields. In 1939, three companies—Nippon Soda, Japan Salt Industry, and Taiwan Development Company—jointly established the "South Japan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd." in Kaohsiung City, setting up the Anping Factory in Anping District and sub-factories in Budai and Beimen, among other places, with Beimen Bromine Tower being one of them. The Beimen Bromine Tower was primarily constructed of cement, wood, and bricks, covered with metal sheeting. After the war, the metal and wood were removed by the locals, leaving only the red brick tower known for its "three-in-one, plus one" structure still visible today. According to local elders, brine was transported from near Zhongzhou and Jingzaiqiao (the Beimen Salt Field at that time included five areas: Keliiao, Wangye Port, Jingzaiqiao, Beimen, and Zhongzhou) using pipes made of bamboo (four-sided moso bamboo) to produce bromine. Currently located beside Taiwan Highway 17, the Beimen Bromine Tower occupies an area of about several tens of square meters; its exterior is gradually deteriorating, but it still reflects the significant role it once played.
