What are the 3 wonders of Hengchun Peninsula and Kenting?
Let’s start this study with a question: what are the 3 wonders of Hengchun peninsula?
Hint: in this case, we are not talking about the beautiful beaches of Kenting, Cape Eluanbi Park (which is actually one of 8 views of Taiwan)?
Answer: 3 wonders of the Hengchun peninsula are (were) onions, sisal hemp, and Gangkou tea.
Among them, sisal hemp is the main raw material for making hemp rope, which was originally the main economic product of Hengchun Peninsula, but over time, man-made fibers replace this crop that has no economic value. So far, the hemp rope made of sisal hemp has been gradually eliminated, and now there have been almost no people planting sisal hemp in the Hengchun area, instead, people switch to planting crops such as onions or watermelons.
To record the glorious history of sisal hemp in Hengchun in the past in detail, the management office of Kenting National Park has specially set up an exhibition area for sisal hemp’s industrial history at the original site of the hemp factory in Hengchun.
However, lesser know place, and because of that – even more interesting, is the Sisal factory ruins, that we visited and made enough footage for you to enjoy.
If you happen to be driving a scenic road nr 200 from Hengchun to Manzhou, take your time and turn south to the direction of Mt. Menmaluo, to visit a second sisal hemp factory ruins that were built by the Japanese army in 1941, in the wake of WW2.
Factory has been almost forgotten in the overgrown weeds
Without any hesitation, let me invite you to dive into these ruins with our 360° tour as usual!
The gentle breeze blows through the whistling pine trees in the park, bringing a little loneliness and nostalgia.
According to the management office of Kenting National Park, in 1941, the Japanese government set up the second sisal hemp company processing factory at Shemali, Manzhou Township; it planted huge number of sisal plants, and it made ropes.
Sisal plantation in Taiwan during Japanese Colonial Period
I love, how the current ruins are carefully conserved by Kenting National park administration by not just keeping it safe for visitors, but also planting a several sisal plants over the place, so you can literaly look at the ruins and see the plants as well!
At that time, there were sisal plants at the entire hillside of Manzhou, the scenery was quite spectacular, and many people in Manzhou also became rich from the plantation of sisal hemp.
However, when Japan lost the Second World War, the factory also stopped operating
In the decades since the closure of the sisal hemp company processing factory at Yongjing, the factory has been almost forgotten in the overgrown weeds. Until recent times, with the assistance (in planning) of the Pingtung County Government Urban and Rural Development Department, the construction began for renovation.
Everyone looks forward to the reproduction of Yongjing’s glory through the environmental reconstruction of the sisal hemp factory site. However, most tourists still only know the sisal hemp’s historical exhibition hall located at the south of Longluan Lake.
Name of the landmark in Chinese: 瓊麻工廠遺址
Address in English: 947, Pingtung County, Manzhou Township, Yongnan Rd, 18號號
Address in Chinese: 947屏東縣滿州鄉永南路18號號
Link to the place in Interactive Kenting Tourist Map: Sisal Factory Ruins Location