The Taiwan Sugar Museum (aka Qiaotou Sugar Factory/Refinery) is a historical sugar refining Factory in Qiaotou District of Kaohsiung City. It was the first sugar factory in Taiwan and lasted nearly a hundred years. Now it has been converted into a museum and cultural center, and is one of the most popular attractions in the area.
Background: The first Han Chinese settlers to Qiaotou came during the late Ming Dynasty, along with Koxinga. The original name of Qiaotou District was was Xiaodianzai (小店仔), a name given because in the olden days there was a few shops near a the Yungui Bridge (允龜橋). Later during the Qing Dynasty, the row of shops became a long street known as Xiaodianzai Street (小店仔街). The Yunchong Bridge crossed a small ditch near the old street, and after a while people referred to the street as Qiaotou Street (literally the street at the head of the bridge). The ditch was later filled in with earth and the bridge was torn down, but it stood near the current stinky tofu stand. In 1901, during the Japanese era, the first sugar factory in Taiwan was built in Qiaotou. At it's height, it was producing 18,000 tons of sugar per year. After the fall of sugar production in the late 1900s due to the reduction of available land and the growing cost of producing sugar in Taiwan, the factory began to slow production. In 1999, the sugar factory stopped producing sugar, and in 2006 it was converted into a museum. Due to its convenient transportation from both the MRT and TRA, the Qiaotou Sugar Museum has become a popular attraction, and is especially crowded on weekends. Hours: 9 AM to 4:30 PM Price: Free entrance, different areas inside may require additional entrance fees. Ten Drum Creative Park 十鼓文創園區: 350 NT When to go: Anytime, it never gets really crowded here. Accommodation We have stayed at and recommend Chao She Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) IHI Sanduo Travel Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here), and Mingli Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Hotels.com here) which are three inexpensive and high quality choices in downtown Kaohsiung. I also have stayed at and recommend Kaohsiung Meinong Rabbit Paul Homestay B&B (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here), a quiet B&B in rural Meinong, and Chengching Lakeside Resort (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com or Trip.com here)and the Grand Hotel Kaohsiung (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) which both offer breakfast buffet and free entrance into Chenqing Lake Park. I have also stayed at the 85 sky tower which offers great views of the city; you can search for rooms in the 85 sky tower on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here). Find out more about where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here. Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. Tours: You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as Pier 2, Meinong Hakka Museum, Hamasen Railway Museum, Suzuka Circuit Park, i-Ride Kaohsiung Visual 5D Flying Theater, National Science and Technology Museum , Senya Village Restaruant, Austin Land, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, and many more on Klook here or KKday here. Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. How to get there: By Scooter/Car: From central Kaohsiung, take provincial highway 1 north (scooters) or national freeway 1 (cars) until you reach Qiatou. There is paid parking in front of the sugar factory. Looking for scooter rental in Kaohsiung? You can check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can check also out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can search Qeeq here, KKday here, or Klook here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By MRT/TRA: Take the MRT or TRA to Qiaotou Train Station stop. The old street is just one block south of the train station. You can book tickets to travel to Kaohsiung via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. You can also book a Kaohsiung Travel pass here. Map: Please see below: Our Journey: I have been to the Qiaotou Sugar Factory twice. It is really convenient to travel to by both MRT and TRA. If you are in Kaohsiung, it is a nice day trip. The first time I went by MRT but I have no photos of the experience. The second time I travelled by car.
Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area.
Or check out the 360 degree spherical panorama above.
The entire factory is surrounded by a brick wall. The only entrance is on the west side near the train tracks.
You can see remnants of an old KMT military bunker on the east side.
I'm not quite sure what Bay's is, I think they own part of the sugar factory. They definitely own the parking lot.
If you come to take wedding photos, there is a 800 NT fee. If you come to cosplay, there is a 600 NT fee. If you come to make tea, there is a 10 NT fee. One of the weirdest signs I've ever seen in Taiwan, and very confusing for people coming for the first time.
For the ten drums area, there is a 350 NT admission fee.
There is a big grassy area in front of the sugar factory and ten drums area, with some old sugar cane trains on display on the far side.
Very simple map of the ten drums area.
Another view of the sugar factory.
This is the drumming classroom at ten drums. I think there are a little more than ten drums here.
Old kiln or something similar at the front if the complex.
Here you can see the entrance to the ten drums area, which has the old railroad tracks for the sugar train.
Closer look down the tracks.
The ten drums cultural area has a bunch of art displays and restaurants. It is like a hipster paradise, similar to Pier 2.
So what is in the ten drums area?
I don't have any pictures from inside, but I do recall there were quite a few old buildings to explore, and there were some pretty good popsicles and other snacks inside. 
The main restaurant at ten drums.
Looking into the ten drum restaurant.
This is known as chimney square. You can also visit parts of the sugar factory from here.
View looking back at the ten drums restaurant.
Full map of the area, including a agricultural machinery exhibition, sugar cane train maintenance shop, and more. The other places outside of ten drums do not require and entrance fee as far as I know.
Drone shot from the east side of the complex.
Another view of the factory from further west. The two long corridors on the right are part of ten drums creative park.
Also if you have time, be sure to check out the nearby Qiaotou Old Street. There are plentiful food options here at better prices than inside the sugar factory. For our full blog on this old street, click here.
You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as wake boarding, water skiing, SUP paddle boarding, Pier 2, i-Ride Kaohsiung Visual 5D Flying Theater, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, and more on Klook here or KKday here. You can check out our full travel guide to Kaohsiung here. You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
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Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
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