This is Shanhua Sugar Refinery.
There are lots of sugar refineries in Taiwan.
But do you know why in Shanhua?
And besides the sugar, what products do they make now?
And what we can find only in Shanhua Sugar Refinery?
So let’s check it out!
Let me introduce my friend here Mr. Hong
and Section Manager Xiao
Hi, Mr. Hong. (Hello)
Hi, Xiao Section Manager. (Hello)
Hello everyone.
Bei-an, let me take you on a tour. (Alright)
We know that sugar was the most important product of Taiwan,
so what’s the reason that sugar refinery
would be constructed in Shanhua?
Why the sugar refinery is located in Shanhua
can actually be explained like this,
first of all,
because this factory was established in 1904.
1904 is 8 years before the Republic of China,
and that is 114 years of history.
The sugar industry has a 400 year history of development in Taiwan.
When establishing a sugar refinery, one must consider water sources.
The process of refining sugar requires large amounts of water.
For ease of access, a sugar refinery must be near a river.
Tsung-Yeh sugar refinery is close to Zengwun River,
and the Xinying sugar refinery is close to Jishui River.
The second thing to consider is the accessibility of materials.
There needs to be a large crop of sugarcane provided
as material for making sugar.
Third of all, it should be situated in a densely populated area.
In the early days the Siraya Tribe included
Soulang (now Jiali District),
Madou (now Madou District), Xinkang (now Sinshih District),
and Backloun (now Shanhua District).
Shanhua was one of the four great communities,
and at the same time met
the three basic requirements for a sugar refinery:
close to a water source, materials are easy to get,
and a supply of labor.
That is the reason why a sugar refinery was established in Shanhua.
All the people like the sugar,
and we can’t live without the sugar now,
so I want to ask for everyone that
how to make sugar？
Sugar is made from sugarcanes.
Sugarcanes are harvested on farms
by machines and by hand.
It is a bit more efficient to use machines.
Sugar refineries used to transport sugarcanes by railroads.
Now we use trucks to transport them.
After the raw materials have been delivered to the refinery,
the sugarcanes are first pressed for juices in the pressing room.
The sugarcane chaff is then used as fuel in the boiler room.
At the same time, the sugarcane juice is sent to the cleaning room
to be sterilized through high temperatures.
After the process, the moisture is evaporated
and the concentrate can be made into sugar crystals.
When the concentrations levels are around 64 percent,
it is sent to the crystallization room.
In the process of crystallization, molasses will be produced,
so once again the sugar is sent to a molasses separation room.
Using high pressure and centrifugal force
molasses is separated from sugar.
Molasses can then be made into monosodium glutamate(MSG).
Nowadays, molasses is used as fertilizer.
The finished sugar product is sent to be packaged in the packaging room.
So can you show us around the heritage museum
of Shanhua Sugar Refinery?
Bei-an I’ll take you for a look
to go check out our museum. (Ok)
In recent years, sugar refineries have
all been changing into alternative spaces
for art exhibitions.
The space not only preserves the history of the sugar refinery,
but also brings life to the space through art.
Shanhua Sugar Refinery is the only factory still producing.
Apart from producing sugar,
Shanhua Sugar Refinery also preserves many old artifacts and documents,
opened three heritage museums,
opened a coffee shop,
and is open to the public for visiting
or just as a leisure space.
Here we mainly exhibit
artifacts that are of significance to sugar refining.
Wow! There’s actually a hand crank siren.
Keep going… a bit harder…
I didn’t know old sirens were hand turned.
Hello, moshi moshi, it still works.
Here there are historical antiques:
old photos, telephones,
office supplies,
and many railroad accessories.
It’s definitely worth a visit!
Of course you can’t come to Shanhua Sugar Refinery
without trying some delicious ice cream.
Also, there is a shop that you can have some food and ice cream.
Today, we have the ice cream with red bean.
The ice cream is so creamy,
and you can smell the scent of milk.
And the red bean paste in your mouth with
the ice cream is extremely wonderful.
Eating ice cream or look around the heritage museum,
you can never only pass by the Sugar Refinery in Shanhua!