Taiwan Food Atlas

Hualien Fresh-Pressed Sugarcane Juice

Sweet legacy of Guangfu Sugar Factory's century-old cane fields — clear sweetness refined by Rift Valley sunlight
📍 Hualien · Guangfu and Hualien City🌟 Collector's · Beverage🔖 Guangfu Sugar Factory / fresh-pressed sugarcane juice / Taiwan Sugar tourism

Hualien fresh-pressed sugarcane juice is the signature drink of the Guangfu Sugar Factory tourist park — officially named Hualien Sugar Factory, established as the Yamato Plant in Guangfu Township in 1921 and converted into a tourism park after closing in 2002, where a hands-on juice-pressing experience is still offered. The Hualien Rift Valley's abundant sunlight and fertile soil give the cane high sugar content; unsweetened and undiluted, the juice is clear and sweet with an earthy fragrance, paired with a Taiwan Sugar popsicle — a sweet childhood memory for many people from Hualien.

Hualien Sugar Factory (commonly called Guangfu Sugar Factory) originated as the Yamato Plant established in 1921, and became a tourism park after operations ceased in 2002. The on-site "Sugarcane Elementary School" DIY sugarcane-pressing experience is only offered from November to March each year and requires reservation at least 10 days in advance via the official website — it is not a walk-in, year-round activity.

What is Hualien Fresh-Pressed Sugarcane Juice

The sugarcane juice at Guangfu Sugar Factory uses cane grown on-site or from nearby farms, mechanically pressed and sold immediately with no added sugar or flavoring, preserving the cane's natural sugars and fresh herbal sweetness. Sugarcane contains sucrose, reducing sugars, and trace minerals; it tastes sweet with a slight grassy note, naturally lighter than canned commercial sugarcane juice. The Hualien Rift Valley has long sunshine hours and a large day-night temperature swing — ideal conditions for sugar accumulation in cane. Farmland in the Guangfu area was already designated as a sugarcane-growing zone during the Japanese colonial period.

Guangfu Sugar Factory belongs to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taiwan Sugar Co., Ltd.) and is an important relic of the Japanese colonial-era sugar industry. It has been converted into a tourism factory-style sightseeing park, retaining factory equipment on display, with ice products and sugarcane juice as the main tourist offerings. Mobile sugarcane juice stalls also appear at Hualien City night markets and Dongdaemen Night Market as additional tasting options beyond Guangfu. Sugarcane is available year-round; chilled sugarcane juice in summer is most refreshing.

How to eat it like a local

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Drinking it at Guangfu Sugar Factory is the most immersiveHaving a glass of fresh-pressed sugarcane juice in a park that preserves Japanese colonial-era factory buildings adds a strong historical dimension — more culturally resonant than a night market stall.
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Drink it without ice to taste the original flavorSugarcane juice is already naturally sweet; adding ice dilutes the sweetness slightly. If you can tolerate a room-temperature drink, the no-ice version lets you fully appreciate the layered fragrance of the cane itself.
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Pairing it with a popsicle is a classic combinationTaiwan Sugar brand popsicles (zhi zi bing) are a classic Taiwanese treat; pairing one with sugarcane juice is the most iconic combination in the park — sweet without being cloying, cool and refreshing.
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Summer afternoons have the freshest pressingIn summer (June–September) sugarcane sugar content is at its highest and harvesting batches are frequent; sugarcane juice pressed in the afternoon during this season has the best sweetness and fragrance.

Local knowledge

Objective backing

  • Guangfu Sugar Factory is a tourism site under the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taiwan Sugar Co., Ltd.); its Japanese colonial-era sugar industry heritage background is documented in official Taiwan Sugar historical records.
  • Guangfu Sugar Factory has been converted into a tourism park; sugarcane juice and ice products are Taiwan Sugar-approved merchandise, making it a credible tourist consumption venue.
  • The agricultural environment of the Hualien Rift Valley — with abundant sunlight — is noted in county government agricultural promotion materials as a climate feature suited to cultivating high-sugar-content crops.

Visitor tips

  • Guangfu Sugar Factory draws large crowds on weekends; during peak periods there may be a queue for sugarcane juice. Visiting on weekdays or non-holiday periods eliminates waiting time.
  • Freshly pressed sugarcane juice is best consumed within 30 minutes. Flavor degrades significantly if carried long distances or saved for the evening — drink it on-site.
  • The park's parking lot is free but limited in space. Arriving early on weekends is recommended; arriving too late may mean parking on the surrounding road and walking in.

Sources: Guangfu Sugar Factory Taiwan Sugar official information; Hualien County Government agricultural promotion materials. Photos to be replaced after Dio's on-site shoot.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can visitors try the sugarcane juice at Guangfu Sugar Factory?

It is sold at the on-site ice shop, and there is also a "Sugarcane Elementary School" DIY pressing experience, but that runs only November–March with a 10-day advance reservation.

What year was Guangfu Sugar Factory established?

Its predecessor, the Yamato Plant of Hualien Port Sugar Manufacturing, was established in 1921, and the site became a tourism park after closing in 2002.

What is the classic pairing with sugarcane juice here?

Pairing it with a Taiwan Sugar popsicle is the park's classic combination, sweet without being cloying and refreshingly cool.

Sources

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