In 1913, the "East Taiwan Sugar Manufacturing Association" set up the "Hualien Harbor Sugar Manufacturing Center", which was also known as the "Carp Tail Sugar Factory" in Hualien County's Shoufeng Township. In 1921, the "Yamato Factory" was also set up in Guangfu Township, which produced sugar on a large scale. Towards the end of the Second World War, these two factories were damaged by bombing from the allied forces. After Taiwan retrocession, Taiwan Sugar Corporation took over, and decided to pull down the Shoufong Factory, which had suffered more serious damage. The Yamato Factory was rebuilt under the new name of the Hualien Sugar Factory. This became the major sugar manufacturing center for east Taiwan. Because the sugar factory is located in Guangfu Township, it is often called the "Guangfu Sugar Factory". However, its formal name is the "Hualien Sugar Factory".The Hualien Sugar Factory has experienced many years of expansion and renovation. There have been increases in the amount of sugar produced, and improvements in the sugar quality. In order to provide the factory with raw materials, vast sugar cane fields can be found in Xincheng Township to the north and Fuli Township to the south, which have become a unique East Rift Valley sight. In addition to providing granulated sugar, Hualien Sugar Factory also has a frozen products department which produces all flavors of popsicles and ice cream. These products are very popular with both local and foreign tourists, and a "trip to the sugar factory to sample the ice cream products" has become a favorite tourist activity.Next to the Hualien Sugar Factory are Japanese-style bungalows, organized in neat rows. Large-scale Japanese-style buildings like these are very rare in Taiwan. These residences, made of Chinese cypress, were built for the factory employees during the Japanese occupation. For...