Chihsing Tan Katsuo Museum, Dried bonito fish museum in Xincheng, Taiwan.
Chihsing Tan Katsuo Museum is a museum in Xincheng, in northern Taiwan, dedicated to the drying and processing of bonito fish. The building has three floors and walks visitors through each stage of production, from fresh fish to finished flakes.
The building was constructed during the Japanese colonial period as a katsuobushi factory, producing dried bonito for the Japanese market. In 2003 it was converted into a museum to keep the traditional methods alive and open them to the public.
The technique of drying and fermenting bonito was brought to this part of Taiwan by Japanese workers and left a lasting mark on local cooking. Dried fish flakes made here are still used in broths and everyday dishes across the island.
The museum sits close to Qixingtan Beach and can be reached on foot from Beipu Station on the Taiwan Railways network. It is worth checking the opening days in advance, as the museum may close on certain days depending on the season.
Bonito must be smoked several times and treated with a specific mold during the drying process, which can take months. The finished product becomes as hard as wood and is shaved into thin flakes using a special plane.
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