Taiwan Today

Manufacturers are attracting local and international tourists by offering in-depth guided tours and hands-on experiences.

On a weekday afternoon in May, Cheng Chao-wei (鄭朝偉‬) is busy welcoming busloads of tourists to Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City. The curator and his staff take the seemingly endless stream of visitors on tours of the operational production facility, introducing exhibits, hands-on activities and interactive games about specialty pastries for occasions such as births, festivals and weddings.

“Our museum seeks to educate visitors about the history, culture and art of baking Chinese pastries,” Cheng said. “They also learn about the customs surrounding life’s major events in Chinese culture and the pastries that accompany them.”

Established in 2001 by Kuo Yuan Ye Foods, a leading Taiwan pastry producer tracing its origins back 150 years, the museum serves to preserve traditional Chinese baking practices while promoting the company’s brand and products. It is also one of eight sites nationwide selected for inclusion in the government’s International Spotlight Tourism Factory project.

The promotional initiative was launched in 2013 by the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Implemented on behalf of the bureau by the government-supported Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), it aims to build awareness of tourism factories among overseas visitors by highlighting sites that provide tours and other services in foreign languages. Participating facilities are featured in international advertising campaigns, media coverage and overseas travel fairs.

“We initially promoted our museum as a destination for school field trips and domestic tourists, but in more recent years we’ve been placing a big emphasis on attracting foreign visitors,” said Chen Hsin-shou (陳信守), deputy executive manager of Kuo Yuan Ye’s museum. “We’ve developed tours and publicity materials in English and Japanese and created products catering to the tastes of people from different regions such as Southeast Asia.”

These efforts are paying dividends. Owing to participation in the government-supported promotional project as well as the construction of a stylish new green museum building in 2011, Kuo Yuan Ye has seen a steady increase in visitors from about 160,000 in 2013 to 240,000 in 2016. The number of international visitors also tripled over the same period to around 30,000.

Huge Tourism Potential

According to ITRI, Taiwan is home to some 130 tourism factories in sectors spanning beauty and health care, food and alcohol, metalworking and robotics. In total, these sites attracted about 22 million visitors last year, more than double the roughly 10 million recorded in 2012, while combined revenues for 2016 surged 15 percent year on year to a record NT$4.6 billion (US$152.3 million), tallies compiled by the institute show.

The growth of tourism factories is at least partly attributable to an IDB project unveiled in 2003. Titled the Program of Factory Transformation and Technology Improvement, the initiative helps traditional manufacturers develop new sources of revenue, including through attracting visitors to their plants. ITRI also executes this project for the bureau, assisting companies in establishing dedicated tourism facilities and adopting modern marketing strategies.

Tsai Hsiu-ju (蔡秀如), a product manager at ITRI, explained that since the 1990s, low-cost competition from mainland China and Southeast Asia has severely impacted many traditional manufacturers in Taiwan. Concurrently, amid rising living standards, Taiwanese have become increasingly interested in leisure activities, she added.

“Through in-depth guided tours of production facilities and processes, as well as product displays and do-it-yourself [DIY] classes, tourism factories provide visitors with unique and memorable experiences,” Tsai said.

For proprietors, revenue can be generated from admission fees, instructional courses and souvenir sales. As tourism factories continue to invest in new facilities and services, industry revenues are expected to maintain their growth trend, with ITRI estimating the total will reach NT$5.2 billion (US$172.2 million) this year.

Snacks to Savor

Like its pastry-making counterpart in Taoyuan, Taiwan Soya-Mixed Meat Museum, established by D. E. Chung Hua Foods in 2011 in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City, has seen visitor numbers rise since its inclusion in the International Spotlight Tourism Factory project. The facility currently welcomes about 24,000 people each month, double the average monthly figure for 2014. Foreign tourists, largely from Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, account for about 10 percent of the total.

The term soya-mixed meat, or “lu wei” in Mandarin, refers to a variety of traditional dishes stewed in soy sauce. These products can contain beef, chicken or pork as well as other ingredients like bean curd, boiled egg and kelp. D. E. Chung Hua Foods’ signature item is iron eggs—poultry eggs stewed in spices and dried repeatedly, giving them a dark brown exterior and chewy texture.

During guided tours, visitors can observe the company’s production processes and explore exhibits of vintage kitchen tools and photos. There are also displays on the origins of soy snacks, the company’s history and evolution and the development of its products.

“Opening our doors has enhanced brand awareness and consumer trust as visitors leave feeling assured of our commitment to quality and safety,” said Lin Tsung-lung (林琮隆‬), managing director of D. E. Chung Hua Foods. “Since launching our tourism factory program, sales have increased by 20 to 30 percent.”

Lin added that he finds great personal satisfaction in sharing how he and his wife grew their business from a small night market stand they opened in 1993 with just NT$5,000 (US$167) into a company that exports to over 30 countries. “We hope our story encourages young people to pursue their dreams,” he said.

Glimpsing the Future

The desire to educate and inspire was also a major motivation for Tsai Feng-chun (蔡逢春), CEO of Sha Yang Ye Industrial Co., in establishing visitor facilities at his firm’s headquarters in Taoyuan in 2013. One of the world’s leading original design manufacturers of high-precision microgeared motors, the company showcases advanced robotics technologies at Sha Yang Ye Robot Wonderland.

Also a participant in the international spotlight project, the museum displays service robots designed for companionship, education, entertainment, rescue missions and other purposes. Some of the most popular devices are puppet-like creations in the form of prominent local cultural symbols such as the Taoist deity known as the Third Prince.

Through brochures and guided tours, the museum offers visitors insights into the evolution of robotics and its current and potential applications. Tourists can also interact with some of the machines, try their hand at making a robot and observe robot combat competitions.

“We’re moving into the age of robotics,” Tsai said. “So, our establishment aims to inform the public about the important role that robots play in modern life as well as stimulate young people’s interest in intelligent automation technologies.”

According to Tsai, Sha Yang Ye Industrial has a competitive advantage in developing own-brand service robots given its status as a major producer of geared motors, one of the main components for the devices. “We’ve worked to integrate culture and creativity into our designs,” he said. “Incorporating local cultural characteristics helps our products stand out, particularly in international markets.”

Last year, the company substantially expanded its exhibition space, with the museum now spanning 22 themed display areas as well as a cafe, DIY workshop and souvenir store. This investment is bearing fruit, with revenues and visitor figures rising more than 60 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2017.

“The facilities help attract not just tourists but also potential customers,” Tsai said. “After visiting our museum, business owners get a true sense of how humanoid robots operate.”

Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw