Ready-made Garment Industry at Wanghwa

Wanghwa ready-made clothing wholesale zone originates from Hsiyuan Road Sec 2. In 1956, The folks who relocated from Changhua to Taipei utilized cloth fragments to make and sell underwears and briefs, and traders gradually aggregated, and then expanded to Hsiyuan Road Sec 1 and Dili Street. By now, about 400 or 500 wholesale merchants congregate around Hsiyuan Road, Dili Street and the vicinity of Wanghwa Station. In 1980s, because of wealth increasing, Taiwanese consumers' demand for clothing spurted unimaginable momentum. This period of time was the bloom of ready-made garment wholesale industry at Wanghwa. Not only the demand of worldwide buyers but also that of local markets were too hot to meet.

During the flourishing period, the blocks of Dali Street, Hsiyuan Road and Kungding Road were packed like sardines by crowd before Chinese New Year. Even clients jostled against each other for grabbing clothing goods and happened to fall into a large thick cardboard box. Clients used to pay cash in terms of NTD$100 bills that was the largest face value of banknote at that time. Merchants drilled a slim hole of the cashier desk surface, so to directly put bills into it, and till evening, opened the drawer to make out bills happily.

Since 1990s, due to rising production cost, manufactures of ready-made garments began to relocate to Mainland China. The low-priced ready-to-wears imported from Southeast Asia and Mainland China gradually replaced those made in Taiwan. Other ready-to-wears wholesale zones emerged in other parts of Taiwan as well. In addition, after underground railway construction completed, Western Rail Line starts from Shangshan Station, and many express trains don't stop at Wanghwa Station. All the above factors affect the capability of attracting clients for Wanghwa ready-made garment wholesalers. In 2001, in order to recreate business opportunities, local merchants formed a trade promotion association and applied to Social Affairs Bureau of Taipei Municipal Government for civil group registration. Currently, Taipei Municipal Government has completed the construction of the pedestrian zone of Dali Street. The trade promotion association chooses Roman alphabet 'MOGA' as the identity system of this trade circle, which is designed by an underwear merchant with Chinese writing brush. Merchants still continue to explore more business ways, including business electronization, amazing showcase storefronts and fine quality of clothing beyond your expectation.