Dalin Sugar Factory Introduction
Dalin Sugar Factory is located beside Provincial Highway No. 1, where the prominent century-old giant chimney of Taiwan Sugar Corporation's Biotechnology Center can be seen from afar. During the Japanese colonial period, the government planned to develop a large-scale sugar industry in Taiwan, establishing Dalin Sugar Factory in the third year of the Taisho era, which attracted a large population and earned Dalin the nickname "Immigrant Area." During the peak of Taiwan's sugar industry, Dalin Sugar Factory drove the local economy, making Dalin the most prosperous place in Chiayi County with the highest level of cultural sophistication, and it became an important symbol for the local people. As Taiwan's sugar industry declined, in 1992, Dalin Sugar Factory was merged into Beigang Sugar Factory, becoming the Beigang Sugar Factory Dalin Plant. In 1996, production officially ceased at Dalin Sugar Factory, and personnel and equipment were incorporated under the management of Beigang Sugar Factory, while part of the factory area was transformed into a production line for a biotech company, with most of the factory remaining preserved. Today, Dalin Sugar Factory is very quiet on normal days, except for visitors and those shopping for ice and other products at the sales center. In the 1950s, the sugar industry played an important role in Taiwan's economic development, and the transportation network built by the Taiwan Sugar Railway solved trade and communication issues for residents at the time, highlighting the sugar industry's significant status in Taiwan's history. To preserve the dwindling heritage of Taiwan's sugar industry, the Chiayi Forest District Office has provided an ancient steam locomotive and a Taiwan Sugar "Pioneer 6203" carriage for display at the current Dalin Sugar Factory. Combined with the lush landscape and the historic employee dormitories, the public can clearly see the traces of Taiwan's sugar industry throughout history.
