Guangfu Sugar Factory (Hualien Tourist Sugar Refinery) | Hualien Attraction

Guangfu Sugar Factory was established during the Japanese colonial era and taken over by the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taisug) after the war. It has since been converted into the Hualien Tourist Sugar Refinery. The grounds preserve a cluster of Japanese-style wooden employee dormitories and offer ice cream sales, agricultural displays, and Japanese-style accommodation experiences. Bicycle rental is also available within the factory grounds. This is one of the key sites in the Hualien-Taitung Rift Valley for understanding Taiwan's sugar industry history, and a popular rest stop on Rift Valley travel itineraries.

Highlights of Guangfu Sugar Factory

The Taiwanese sugar industry flourished during the Japanese colonial era, and Guangfu Sugar Factory (originally the Yamato Sugar Factory) was an important base for sugarcane production in eastern Taiwan. The factory once had a narrow-gauge railway (五分仔鐵路, literally "five-point railway") for transporting cane, and the factory buildings and dormitories were laid out according to the sugar production process, forming a self-sufficient, community-scale industrial settlement. The surviving Japanese employee dormitories are mostly single-story wooden structures; some have been converted into accommodation, retaining the raised floors, verandas, and wooden plank walls typical of Japanese dormitory architecture.

The park is best known for Taisug ice cream, with its popsicles and ice cream cones becoming a mandatory dessert stop on Rift Valley itineraries. The shaded grounds around the dormitory cluster provide welcome relief from the sun, making this an ideal spot to rest during a journey. The agricultural display area introduces sugarcane cultivation and the development of Taiwan's sugar industry, offering some educational value for understanding the modernization of Taiwanese agriculture.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Visit

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Taisug Ice Cream Is a MustPopsicles and ice cream cones are the park's signature, with a wide range of flavors at accessible prices. Eating ice cream in the shade of the dormitory grove is one of the most relaxing moments of a Rift Valley trip.

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Stroll Among the Japanese DormitoriesThe wooden dormitory cluster preserves the atmosphere of an old industrial community. Walk slowly between the buildings and look for architectural clues — differences in dormitory scale and finish that reflect the hierarchy of roles in the original factory.

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Rent a Bicycle to Explore the Factory GroundsThe factory grounds are spacious. Renting a bicycle to ride around the park and surrounding roads gives you a sense of the openness of the Rift Valley plain. Check the condition of the bikes on site.

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Try Staying in a Japanese DormitorySome Japanese dormitories have been converted into accommodation. Staying the night gives you a full immersive experience of the wooden building's spatial atmosphere. Book in advance and confirm whether accommodations are currently open.

Practical Information

Getting There & Time

Located on Dajin Road in Guangfu Township. About a 10-minute walk from Taiwan Railways Guangfu Station; approximately a 45–50-minute drive from Hualien City.
The park is open all day. Ice cream sales hours vary by season. Accommodations require advance booking — contact the Taisug Tourism Division.
Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for a walk-through. Additional time if dining or staying overnight.

Nearby Connections

About 20–30 minutes north by car from Guangfu Sugar Factory, Liyu Lake in Shoufeng Township makes a natural pairing of natural scenery and industrial heritage in the mid-Rift Valley.
About 20 minutes south is Mataian Wetland — combining the sugar factory with the wetland makes for a satisfying Guangfu Township half-day itinerary.

Sources: Taiwan Sugar Corporation Tourism Division. Photos pending replacement with Dio's own photography.

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