More than twenty years ago, armed with a wealth of fish-processing skills, founder Yu, Tsung-Po and his close friends moved from Sanzhan to Qixingtan, Hualien, an area blessed with abundant fisheries. Relying on their specialized expertise in katsuobushi (dried bonito) production, they began building their business and their lives there...
Chihsing Tan Katsuo Factory, Established in 1984
Under favorable conditions for the fishing industry, the factory operated for nearly 20 years. Its house-made dried bonito was outstanding and consistent in quality, regularly drawing large numbers of Japanese buyers. In early 2001, however, sweeping changes in the broader industry, together with the occupational illnesses caused by years of working in high heat, sent the factory into gradual decline, and it eventually passed into history... Stepping into the warm bonito factory, visitors were greeted by billowing smoke and the aroma of smoked fish. The low, mottled building, blackened year-round by smoke, forced taller people to stoop as they moved about. Workers bustling in and out and carts laden with fish—this was the everyday scene at the bonito factory for many years.
Midsummer 2003
Guided by the belief that "life is culture" and should not be sealed away and forgotten simply because an era has ended, Mr. Yu set out to bear witness to this history, to give local residents a place to gather and reminisce, and to help younger generations understand the maritime character of Taiwan, a people living in harmony with the sea. In the midsummer of 2003, rallying support from all sides, he invited back an old friend with more than 60 years of fish-processing experience to personally pass on the craft. Thus the dream of the Chihsing Tan Katsuo Museum began to take shape, adding a new cultural landmark to the Hualien area.
Transformation of the Bonito Factory
The industrial museum, converted from a bonito factory steeped in 40 years of history, fell victim to a fire of unknown origin one night in July 2017. The blaze destroyed the entire hinoki cypress building that had been so painstakingly preserved. Today, only its charred frame still stands quietly in the Qixingtan community, the sole remaining landmark recalling its former glory.
Setting Up Temporary Containers
"Undaunted by any obstacle—culture does not vanish simply because it has gathered dust." With this conviction, we pressed ahead with demolition and committed ourselves to rebuilding on the original site. During the reconstruction period (from July 2018), we continued to operate from two steel shipping containers on the vacant lot, selling bonito products, hosting DIY workshops, and providing visitor information services. At the same time, we employed reinforcement and restoration techniques so that the smokehouse where the bonito was cured could continue to pass on the industry's cultural craft through its original memory. Through illustrated wall displays and the stories told by our guides, the culture of the bonito industry lives on in Qixingtan, Hualien. We believe the Chihsing Tan Katsuo Museum will be reborn from the ashes and rise again from the ruins...
Soft Opening in July 2019
On July 1, 2019—two years after the fire—we officially opened to the public for a soft opening. Integrating local marine ecology education, "black gold" industrial heritage, multisensory discovery experiences, and seafood education, the Chihsing Tan Katsuo Museum reemerged as Taiwan's only maritime story museum carrying on a Japanese fish-processing craft that took root and flourished in Taiwan, offering visitors in-depth local itineraries and the slow-travel, slow-food, slow-living charm of the Qixing area!