Taiwan Salt Museum - TAIWAN SALT HISTORY

In 1949, a group of government employed salt production personnel arrived in Taiwan from China and began critical management in Taiwan’s salt industry. In 1952, Taiwan Salt Works was established. The new management team integrated the Japanese and local salt workers’ experience and gave a boost to Taiwan‘s salt industry in terms of production technique and management.

In order to protect state taxation income from salt, an institution and police system specialized for salt control, was established. During the Cing dynasty, there were patrol officers and Japanese occupation there were salt village police officers and supervisors; and in the Kuomintang administration after the War, there were still salt police.

The large salt pile made by salt workers must be stamped with a Chinese character as security check identification. 。

In 1980, Fei, Chao was confronted with the problems of high cost of the traditional salt crystallization method, and complaints of salt quality by the chlorine industry. His solution was the large scale mechanization of the salt flats.

Salt harvesting and carrying are all labor-intensive tasks, which account for more than 70% of salt labor. Therefore, replacing human labor with machine has been the concept adopted by Taiyen after the War for its focal tasks of production cost reduction and salt quality improvement.

To increase table salt quality, Tongsiao Electrodialysis Salt Factory was completed in 1975, and brought Taiwanese table salt quality to world standard.

In the task of increasing production output, the new salt flat development on newly born land at coast lines during the 1960s and the mechanization of salt fields during the 1980s were implemented to satisfy the large demand of industrial salt from industry.

After stopping salt sales, Taiyen launched salt based bath products. In addition, Tongsiao Electrodialysis Salt Factory was able to produce purified water from seawater in the process of table salt production. Later on Taiyen moved into biotech business (e.g. collagen and microbiology products) and was totally transformed.

AD	ROC	Major Events
1946	35	Taiwan Administrative Office took over Japanese salt fields and established Tainan Salt Industry Company.
1947	36	The Salt Administration and Taxation Police from Fujian Province were the first salt police force in Taiwan.
1952	41	The establishment of Taiwan Salt Works, formerly the China National Salt Industry Corporation Financed by US loans, the railway systems at Budai and Cigu salt plants were able to renovate and the transport network inside the plants could be completed.
1959	48	Due to the policy of Land to the Tiller, salt fields were renamed as salt flats.
1967	55	To prevent big neck disease (over-active thyroid gland), iodized salt was offered throughout the Province.
1969	58	Taiwanese industry took off in the 1960s; for the very first time, Taiyen imported industrial salt from a foreign country.
1975	64	Completion of Tongsiao Electrodialysis Salt Factory: High grade refined salt and regular table salt were offered to the market.
1976	65	Fei, Chao assumed the office of General Manager and implemented cooperative crystallization at the salt flats and improvement of salt workers’ benefits.
1977	66	Cancellation of taxation on salt.
1978	67	The Salt Police was reorganized and changed to Taiwan Provincial Special Police Third Headquarters.
1981	70	In accordance with the policy of a mechanized salt flat, the policy of ceasing new hiring of contract workers was confirmed.
1983	72	In accordance with the policy of a mechanized salt flat, large numbers of salt workers resigned.
1989	78	After Yu, Guang-Hua took office as General Manager; Taiyen was dedicated to diversified businesses.
1995	84	Changed name to Taiwan Salt Industrial Corporation
1996	85	Lake McLeod Salt Company PTE Ltd., a joint venture with Dampier Salt Limited, an Australian based company, is Taiyen’s main source of imported salt.
1997	86	The preparation of the Taiwan Salt Museum began.
2002	91	Jheng, Bao-Cing assumed the position of Director of the Board of Taiyen. The biotech factory that produces collagen and the carbon cartridge factory were completed successively and production began. The ceasing of salt crystallization at Cigu mechanized salt flat marks the final period of 338 years of salt production history in Taiwan.
		Taiyen completes its privatization.

After the War, Taiwan solar salt fields constantly and gradually ceased, and most of the salt workers were replaced by machines. In 2002, mechanized salt production at Cigu Salt Field finally ceased and the 338 years of solar salt production history was ended.

Limited by weather conditions, the local salt industry could not compete with the price competition from the international market no matter how many efforts were invested. In 1996, Taiyen entered into a joint venture with Dampier Salt Limited, an Australian based company and formed Lake McLeod Salt Company PTE Ltd. to jointly produce industrial and agricultural salt.

In December 2003, Taiyen was privatized and the salt monopoly abolished; the era of imported salt began.