New Colonial-Era Attraction Added: Imperial Sugar Factory Transformed into Eco Park

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Taichung is set to welcome another new attraction: the city’s historic building, the “Taichung Office of the Imperial Sugar Factory,” which records the development history of Taiwan’s sugar industry. The municipal government has carried out restoration work to preserve its original structure and plans to repurpose it as the “Taichung Industrial Story Museum,” injecting new vitality into the revitalization of the old city, with completion expected by the end of next year. The Imperial Sugar Factory will become one of the best historical buildings to understand Taichung, offering insights into the city’s origins. When connected with other urban renewal projects such as the Chengzhongcheng Revitalization, Green Rail Corridor, and Green River Drainage Environment Improvement initiatives, it will serve as a significant historical landmark in Taichung.

The restoration of the Imperial Sugar Factory is a landmark project in the rebirth of the old city, bringing back the historical glory of Taichung and ushering it into a new era. Taichung came into existence with the opening of the longitudinal railway. After the Japanese colonial period, the “rice and sugar economy” behind the train station laid the foundation for industrial and commercial development at the front of the station. Among these, the Imperial Sugar Factory is an extremely important historic building that has been preserved. Once restored, it will be positioned as the “Taichung Industrial Story Museum,” with operations expected to begin in 2019 (Year 108 in the Republic of China calendar).

The “Taichung Industrial Story Museum” will present the development journey of Taichung’s industries, including the “blacksmiths’ quarter” in the southeast district and the industrial life in the eastern district, the history of the Taichung Sugar Factory and the sugar industry, as well as the history and documentation of related machinery and confectionery industries in the Taichung area. In addition to guided tours, a variety of thematic exhibition and performance events will also be held. In the future, it will be connected with other urban renewal projects in the old city, including the Chengzhongcheng Revitalization Plan, the Green Rail Corridor Axis Plan, and the Green River Drainage Environment Improvement Plan, which will completely transform the old urban area.

The “Taichung Office of the Imperial Sugar Factory” is located within a park area near the intersection of Leye Road and Jinde Road in East District, Taichung. It boasts a spacious landscape park and an ecological lake. In the future, visitors can take walks, enjoy music, and view the three-generation railway station after its elevation project. The Imperial Sugar Factory will be the best living historical building to understand Taichung and learn about the city’s origins. The rebirth of the old urban area is also anticipated, starting with the adaptive reuse of one old building at a time. The Imperial Sugar Factory will become a very important historical landmark in Taichung.