The southern city of Tainan, once one of Taiwan’s most important salt and sugar producing zones, is now developing alternative energy and drawing on its history to create new tourist attractions and recreational facilities.
Sun, sea winds and a rich ecology are the hallmarks of Qigu District. This area was once a salt-producing center, but as the salt fields dried up, they have now evolved into tourist attractions. The Tainan City Government now has a plan to use the power of the sun and wind to generate electricity.
The stiff sea winds that pummel Qigu give it great potential for wind-based power generation. A few years ago, a research company had already come to Qigu to locate a small facility as a pilot. Ye Hui-qing, head of the city’s Office of Economic Development, said finalizing precise locations for wind-powered electric generation plants still requires communication with both operators and the public.
Linking these efforts to the Taiwan Salt Museum and other tourist resources, the plan could bring a new wave of development to the region. The Salt Museum is noted for its dual pyramid form, which incorporates the form of a salt mountain as well as the molecular structure of salt.
Sugar is another former industrial star in Tainan. The Soulangh Cultural Park and the Tsung-Yeh Arts and Cultural Center are sited on the former locations of the Jiali Sugar Factory and the Tsung-yeh Sugar Factory, respectively. After sugar production was halted, the facilities were repurposed to provide more recreational and tourist space.
The Jiali Sugar Factory’s old warehouse has been renovated and is now an arts and culture gallery. The city’s Office of Culture plans to promote this facility as a cradle for human resource training for southern Taiwan, and also holds design exhibits here, as well as showcasing culturally related business from across the city.
The Tsung-yeh Center is a good example of the revitalization of a historical landmark. The city has listed the red office building, the wooden guesthouse, the director’s residence and the red-brick dining hall as historic sites. All have now been transformed into exhibition space, serving as a platform to promote culture in southern Taiwan. Huge lamps in the forms of human faces and creative lanterns are on hand, together with products like artist-designed USB sticks and environmentally friendly shopping bags.
Water is another thing that Tainan is noted for, and the Museum of Running Water in the mountains here is located at a spring attached to the Tainan Water Plant. The original Tainan water lines were built by the Japanese in 1912, and the plant includes filtering, sedimentation and water supply equipment. All are in their original condition, and this plant, listed as a national historic site, is one of the most complete remaining Japanese-era water plants in the world today.
(This article originally appeared Aug. 15 in The Liberty Times.)