Kaohsiung Formosa Wang Brothers Park Fully Opens

The Kaohsiung Formosa Wang Brothers Park is the birthplace of Formosa Plastics Group. In cooperation with the Bureau of Cultural Affairs of Kaohsiung City Government, the "International Day for Monuments and Historical Sites" event will be held at the park from April 15 to 16, 2023. The entire area will be opened to the public, and the park will showcase 13 historical and commemorative buildings, telling the story of Taiwan's petrochemical industry starting from the US aid era. We welcome everyone to come and visit the park.

The founders of FPG, brothers Yung-Ching Wang and Yung-Tsai Wang, received US$780 thousand in US aid in 1954 to establish Fumao Plastics Corp., which was later renamed Formosa Plastics Corporation. In the late 1930s, Shijia district in Kaohsiung became an industrial zone for the rubber and chemical industries due to Japan's southward expansion policy. After the war, the district saw the establishment of chemical factories such as Taiwan Alkali, Taiwan Fertilizer, Taiwan Aluminum, and Kaohsiung Ammonium Sulfate. In order to fully utilize the chlorine gas, a by-product of Taiwan Alkali, the two founders decided to build Taiwan's first polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in the Shijia District. The plant was FPG’s Kaohsiung plant. It uses the electrolytic process and is capable of producing 4 tons of PVC per day. They became pioneers of the plastics industry in Taiwan.

In 1958, Nan Ya Plastics was established, and it developed the secondary processing of PVC film in the Kaohsiung plant. Then, the company established Xindong Plastics Corporation, which engaged in the tertiary processing of plastics. The plastic industry gradually grew and thrived in Taiwan, and today it has developed into a vertically integrated petrochemical industry, with business operations spanning Taiwan, the United States, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and other regions. FPG has become a transnational corporation that has laid a solid foundation for it's prosperous development.

FPG’s development and journey is a reflection of Taiwan’s economic development. It not only created an unparalleled triple processing system for plastics in the world, generating a significant amount of foreign exchange income during the early stages of Taiwan's economic progress, but also laid a solid foundation for Taiwan's economic development. It then created opportunities for the petrochemical industry to prosper, contributing much to Taiwan’s economic development.

FPG has been based in Taiwan for more than 60 years. With the progress of social development, the original Kaohsiung Plant has been demolished in accordance with the Kaohsiung City urban planning as it has stopped production. However, in order to preserve the history of the city, FPG partnered with Kaohsiung City Government to establish the “Kaohsiung City Wang Yung-ching & Wang Yung-tsai Brotherhood Park Foundation”. More than NT$840 million was invested to transform the old plastics plant into the current park.

In the park, the offices of the founders, the former residence of Yung-Tsai Wang, the material warehouse, and the family dormitories have been transformed into exhibition halls and shops. At the same time, in addition to trees and greenery, a statue of “FPG Grandma”, Ms. Jhan-Yang Wang, a statue of an oxcart carrying PVC, the early PVC polymerization tank, and boiler chimneys fill the outdoor space, recreating life and the developments of the plastics industry during that time.

The former residence of Yung-Tsai Wang in the park is the only commemorative building in Kaohsiung City. It symbolizes the years the founder Yung-Tsai Wang spent working alongside employees. Furthermore, the offices of the founders have been preserved in their original state. Currently, a special exhibition to commemorate the founders of FPG is being held. The story of the two founders leading FPG’s outstanding growth and their part in Taiwan’s economic development is told through the works “Leaving the Mainland for Taiwan”, “Cultivating the Land”, “Developing Light Industries”, “Developing the Petrochemical Industry”, and “Outlooks on the Electronics Industry”, which were personally illustrated by the Chairperson of FPG, Wen-Yuan Wang.

In addition, the adjacent Plastics Industry Pavilion displays early equipment used in Taiwan’s plastics industry, from FPG's PVC polymerization tank to Nan Ya Plastics’ PVC Calendar #0, printing press, and embossing machine. The exhibit provides a comprehensive demonstration of the complete production process of plastics, from raw materials to finished products, and showcases plastic products to educate visitors about the importance of plastics and how they facilitate human life.

The family dormitories have been transformed into cultural and creative shops, recreating life in the 1950s. It has been turned into a gathering place for food, entertainment, and shopping, allowing the public to relive the good memories of the past. The area offers TOGO dining, cultural and creative shops, healthy living shops, family experiences, cafes, and barbers. Among them, the three themed shops operated by Formosa Biomedical, which are hotspots for social media pictures, will hold soft openings on April 15. The remaining shops will be opened successively from July onwards.

Since Mayor Chen Chi-Mai's visit on January 6, 2023, to open the park, there has been a steady stream of visitors to the park, with 500 to 600 people visiting on weekdays and thousands on weekends thanks to the cultural and creative market. In addition to tour groups, there are also influencers who come to the park for photo opportunities, vlogs, and wedding photoshoots. The Formosa Wang Brothers Park has become an indispensable recreational spot for the public and a popular location for social gatherings, outdoor classes for students, and exercise for nearby residents.

Visitors can enjoy the sunshine on the grass and the cool breeze under the trees, while also learning about the history of the plant through the preserved old buildings and equipment. The preserved chimney has become a new landmark in the city when illuminated at night. The former guard house has been renovated into a clock tower, with the words "Athlone Castle" inscribed on the copper bell. Upon investigation, it was found to be a ship bell produced by a shipyard in Ireland, which was brought to the Kaohsiung plant through the ship-breaking industry. It played an important role in helping plant employees keep to their work schedule. It has become a shared memory for the employees and was witness to the boom of the Kaohsiung ship-breaking industry in the 1950s. In the preserved dormitory, the interior is decorated to resemble the living environment of the employees back in the day. The park also features a restored old-fashioned water pump to recreate the early days when there was no running water. Children often play and splash in the water during hot weather.

Since March 2023, the park has held holiday markets. Together with musical performances, visitors can sit under the tree in the plaza to enjoy a picnic on the grass during holidays. Furthermore, as a space for cultural promotion and teaching, the foundation regularly invites experts in different fields to host “Brotherhood Seminar” lectures. The aim is to make the park an indispensable platform for arts and culture exchanges in Kaohsiung City.

It is worth mentioning that FPG’s first external catering system, called "Brotherhood Dining Hall", will be opened in the park, continuing the history of the dormitory being connected to the plant. At the time, the founders’ mother, Ms. Jhan-Yang Wang, often cooked for them with fresh ingredients and a grateful heart, creating a series of delicious home-cooked dishes that demonstrate the FPG’s spirit of "diligence, perseverance, frugality and trustworthiness". FPG hopes to share this wonderful cuisine with more people.

FPG is filled with gratitude and nostalgia for this land. Through the old buildings and equipment in the park, FPG hopes that visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the city's history during their recreational time. This not only shows the brotherly love and unity of the founders, but also passes on the fighting spirit of Taiwan's economy to future generations. FPG hopes that everyone will work together as one to create a new future for Taiwan.