CHANGING COMMUNITY – WE ALL GREW UP RELYING ON “SUGAR” Nanzih Junior High School

In history class, we learned that Taiwan’s economic development had great relation to sugar industry. Relying on sugar production, Taiwan had had a prosperous time. One day, talking to some elders, we suddenly knew that the people in our neighborhood all grew up relying on “sugar”.

WHERE DO WE LIVE? This is Taiwan Kaohsiung is here This is Kaohsiung Here is Nanzih district (the place where we live)

THE CHANGING OF OUR COMMUNITY Past – sugar cane fields sugar industry Present – processing industry zone university town(zone) Future – Kaohsiung’s industry, business and leisure center

IN THE PAST “Nanzih” is an early-developed village. More than three hundred years ago, in early Qing Dynasty (around 1616), our ancestors came to this area and decided to lived here. Many people planted sugar cane and lived on sugar production. In Japanese Colonial Period (1895~1945), the government built up many factories here to produce sugar, so that sugar industry became the largest industry in Taiwan until 1970s. The farmer used an ox-cart to carry sugar cane.

IN THE PAST Before 1970s, the communities in Nanzih were related to sugar cane planting or even sugar production. Most of the residents worked on growing sugar cane. After the sugar cane was harvested, they helped in the factories to produce sugar. In their free time, they cooked food to reward themselves in the sugar cane fields sugar cane filed sugar cane

IN THE PAST For us, it is hard to imagine that there were many sugar cane fields near our neighborhood in the past. There were even many small trains used to carry a large amount of sugar cane. Ciaotou Sugar Refinery was one of the best mechanical sugar refinery In Japanese Colonial Period. The mechanical equipment help to increase sugar production form 1000 kilos to 300 tons per day and caused many people to move here. train tracksmechanical sugar refinery

IN THE PAST From 1960s, however, sugar production was replaced by processing industries because Taiwan joined WTO and the price of sugar became lower. Therefore, Ciaotou Sugar Refinery stopped running after the celebration of 100 years anniversary. Then, Ciaotou Sugar Refinery started to develop diversification, such as leisure and tourism and warehouse supermarket. processing industry zone

IN THE PRESENT The sugar cane fields were replaced by many mansions and row houses. There are only a few old-styled houses left in our community. In addition, the government constructed a big metropolitan park and set up a few universities to change the landscape of the community. In the past a few years, with the construction of the MRT system, the old farming community became a modern one. Metropolitan MRT station public transportation – MRT

IN THE PRESENT Kaohsiung Metropolitan Park National Kaohsiung Marine University Open for the public in 1999, it is a good place for the residents to take a rest.

IN THE PRESENT Taisuco warehouse supermarket Taiwan Sugar Museum It was open in There is a lot of information of the past sugar industry and some old sugar-production equipment. It is a good place for the residents to shop for the daily life.

IN THE PRESENT The Community Landscape – old houses / temples and new buildings / transportation coexist in our community.

IN THE FUTURE Our community, Nanzih, used to be at the north of Kaohsiung City. It was far away from the city center. Compared with other districts near city center, the population is fewer and it is not as prosperous as other districts. In the end of 2010, however, Kaohsiung City combined with Kaohsiung County. As the result, our community becomes the center of the whole Kaohsiung area. Kaohsiung City Kaohsiung County (New) Kaohsiung City

IN THE FUTURE Where is Nanzih now???? Here we are!!!! We expected that our community will be the hub of Kaohsiung’s communications. It may bring more opportunities to us for developing business industry, education and leisure industry, etc. We hope we will have a prosperous future!!