Dalin Sugar Factory Introduction
The Dalin Sugar Factory is located alongside Provincial Highway No. 1, where one can easily spot the century-old giant chimney of the Taiwan Sugar Corporation Biotechnology Center from a distance. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese government systematically developed a large-scale sugar industry in Taiwan, establishing the Dalin Sugar Factory in 1914, which attracted a large population and led to Dalin being referred to as an "immigration area." During the peak of Taiwan's sugar industry, the Dalin Sugar Factory spurred local industries of various sizes, making Dalin the most economically prosperous and culturally advanced place in Chiayi County. It thrived for a time and became an important spiritual symbol for the local people. With the decline of Taiwan's sugar industry, in 1992, the Dalin Sugar Factory was merged into the Beigang Sugar Factory, becoming the Beigang Sugar Factory Dalin Plant. By 1996, the Dalin Sugar Factory officially ceased production, and its personnel and equipment were incorporated under the Beigang Sugar Factory's jurisdiction, while part of the factory site was transformed into a production line for a biotechnology company, and most of the original factory area was preserved. Today, the Dalin Sugar Factory is very quiet on regular days, except for the crowds of tourists and shoppers enjoying ice treats at the sales center. In the 1950s, Taiwan's sugar industry played a crucial role in economic development, with the Taiwan Sugar Railway forming a transportation network of three thousand miles that solved trade and communication issues on the island at the time. The importance of the sugar industry in Taiwan's history cannot be overstated. To preserve the remaining artifacts 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 present-day Dalin Sugar Factory. With its lush green landscape and the historically significant Taiwan Sugar employee dormitories, the public can clearly see the footprints of Taiwan's sugar industry throughout history.
