Formosa Plastics Group Museum

The Formosa Plastics Group Museum, located on the campus of Chang Gung University, was opened in 2004 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary, where the history and culture of Taiwan’s most prominent company is displayed. There are 7 floors of display in the building, totaling 2837 pings (= 9.3786 ares= 937.86 square meters= 1121.68 square yards). Wang Yung-ching, nicknamed ‘the God of Management’ by the Japanese, is the founder of the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG), and two floors of museum space are dedicated to his life and the achievements of his company. The FPG, a US$60 billion revenue, contributes > 12% of Taiwan’s GDP in 2007. The company employs over 94,000 people world-wide.

1^st Floor

In the center of the lobby is an 8.5-ton of Kauri pine, which symbolizes energy and vitality. Kauri pine in the Māori language means “lord of trees”. Together with its long life span and hardness, the Kauri echoes the same impression toward FPG held by the general public in Taiwan.The ground floor also features the company motto, the CIS (corporation identification system), the chronology, the briefing of business sectors FPG is in.

2^nd Floor

The second floor features wax statues and a recreation of Taiwan during Japanese rule. Copies of governmental approval to Formosa Plastics Company, established in 1954, are also documented. The organization chart lists the 40 subsidiaries worldwide in the conglomerate.

3^rd Floor

The third floor focuses on plastics and chemical fiber sectors. The company had the smallest output in the world at first, but now serves as one of the major PVC producers worldwide.Plastic processing machines (eg. extruder, injection molding, and miniature calendar) and the company’s first weaving machine are exhibited. Also on display are photographs witnessing the simultaneous surges of the company development and Taiwan’s economic miracle.

4^th Floor

The 4th floor, Exhibition of Energy and Electronics Industry, features a large 13.6m x 6.6m (45ft x 22ft) 1/600 scale model of FPG’s MiaoLiao Complex. Visitors will walk on the glass floor to get a bird’s-eye view of the 2,600 hectares (6,400 acres) of reclaimed land and a man-made 600 hectares (1,483 acres) industrial harbor. The actual reclaimed area is 8 km long and 4 km wide. The man-made harbor has a draft of 24m (78 feet). This magnificent scale model, lighted up with optical fiber, is a definite must-see!

With the MaiLiao Project, which includes crude oil refinery, naphtha cracking, olefin, aromatic compound , and the downstream chemical raw materials, FPG successfully accomplished significant organic growth and extension from plastic manufacturing to petrochemical industry.

FPG entered the electronic business by making printed circuit boards (PCB) in 1983. The exhibition also illustrates how FPG extended the backward vertical integration by adding production of epoxy resin (1985), copper-clad laminates (1986), glass yarn (1987), glass fiber (1989), copper foil (1995), ECH and BPA (2001). It took two decades to make the vertical integration complete from oil refinery to PCB.

The MiaoLiao project well positions FPG as one of major manufacturers in petrochemical industry and PCB-related material in the world.

An 8 inch silicon ingot, made by Formosa Sumco Technology Corporation, and an 8” DRAM wafer, made by Nanya Technology Corporation, are on the display.

5^th Floor

The fifth floor introduces the group’s overseas and affiliated companies. Among the many exhibits, models of the first chemical ship and the largest 300,000 ton-oil tanker of the Formosa Marine Corporation are displayed. A must-see/sit is an actual SCANIA tractor, which allows children to experience daily work of the drivers.Expansion into biotechnology represents the progressive innovation of Taiwan’s oldest conglomerate.

6^th Floor

Wang Yung-ching gives back to society in his own way, not just by giving money. He founded three universities and the largest non-profit private hospital in Taiwan before 1988. A subsidiary, Formosa Heavy Equipment, rebuilt 16 elementary schools after the 921 earthquake, the most powerful quake in Taiwan in decades. All these are presented by scale models.

Basement Floor

A briefing room shows a documentary film for FPG and a virtual recreation of the New Zealand Kauri forest.

External links

* [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/travel/taiwan%20north/taoyuan/2008/01/17/139489/Formosa-Plastics.htm China Post article written by Greg McCann]
* [http://www.fpg.com.tw/index_eng.asp Company website for Formosa Plastics Group]
* [http://www.fpgmuseum.com.tw/ Museum official website (no English)]