Taiwan Brick Industry

Taiwan was once home to a bustling brick and tile industry that played a crucial role in the island’s development, with the Taiwan Renga (臺灣煉瓦株式會社) company’s “TR” branded bricks becoming synonymous with quality construction during the Japanese colonial era. The industry reached its peak in the mid-20th century, when various types of kilns—including traditional eye kilns, climbing kilns, and the more advanced Hoffmann kilns (八卦窯)—could be found throughout the country, from the Linkou Plateau and Taipei Basin to the western plains, Yilan, and eastern Taiwan. While most of these facilities ceased operations in the 1970s and 1980s as newer manufacturing methods emerged and construction materials diversified, their physical remnants, particularly abandoned kilns and factory sites, provide fascinating insights into Taiwan’s industrial heritage and architectural development.