Sanhe Tile Kiln
The Sanhe Tile Kiln is a former tile manufacturing factory in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The original building of the factory was established in 1918. The building used to be the Shunanhao Tile Kiln. It has since undergone name changes twice, first to Yuan Shun-an Tile Kiln. In 1975, it was renamed Sanhe Tile Kiln. In 2001, parts of the building were registered as a historical site by the government.Community Craft
Rise and Decline
Dashu is located along the Gaoping River, with convenient access to water and fine clay without impurities, making it suitable for brick and tile firing. It was not until the late Qing Dynasty that kiln factories started to establish after obtaining the brick-making techniques from mainland China. During the Japanese colonial period, the tile kiln industry in the Dashu area flourished, with about twenty-three factories and more than one hundred and thirty kilns at its peak, making Dashu the main production and distribution center for tiles in Taiwan.The Sanhe Tile Kiln in Dashu was founded in 1918 by Mr. Hsu An-Jan. At that time, it was named "Shun An Hao Brick Factory." In the late Japanese colonial period, it expanded, acquired other kiln factories, and changed its name to "Yuan Shun An Brick Factory." After the war, it was again renamed "Yuan Shun An Tile Factory" and later changed to "Sanhe Tile Factory." In the 1960s, due to the decreasing demand for brick and tile for buildings, the tile kiln industry in the Dashu area thus declined. After the closure of the Chin Yuan Hsing Tile Factory in 1988, Sanhe Tile Kiln became the last remaining kiln in Dashu.