The History of Sansia Blue-Dyeing
Dyeing industry in the early cultivation society fit the local residents’ needs. In the early
Daoquang (Qing dynasty), the simple industry in the agriculture society, like dyehouses which dyed and sold cloth by themselves, had already appeared in Sanjiaoyong streets. Blue-dyeing, however, started to extend its scale during Tongzhi and Daoguang period (Qing dynasty). Cloth dyeing industry in Sanjiaoyong during Minzhi and Dazheng period (the stage of Japanese colonial rule) was still very popular.
Cloth dyeing industry in Sanjiaoyong operated in both wen and wu markets. The so-called wen market was only retail sale, but wu market was wholesale. At that time, wholesale was marketed not only over the north but also the middle and the south in Taiwan. Stores that ran cloth dyeing industry here usually separated their space into two parts. The front part was doing business, and the back part was doing the dyeing.
In Sanjiaoyong mountain area, there was daqing (a plant used for its dyeing properties). Also, the lucid Sansia river could be used to rinse cloth, and the bank could be used as a hack. Thus, cloth dyeing industry was very popular and flourish there. Because of the convenience of Damshui river, cloth that was dyed would be sold through Wanhua to Amoy, Changhou, Fuchou, and Shanghai. Those unique advantages made Sanjiaoyong an excellent environment to develop blue dyeing industry.
Therefore, in the late Qing dynasty, Sanjiaoyong became the most important center of cloth dyeing industry in northern Taiwan. While visiting elegant Sansia Old Street, monumental archways could be found everywhere. Its scale was regarded as the only dyeing street in northern Taiwan.

The Preservation and Promotion of Blue-Dyeing Culture Organization for the Advancement of Sanchiaoyong Culture
Organization for the Advancement of Sanjiaoyong Culture was named after the old name of
Sansia. Most members are the locals from Sansia. The original establishment of the organization was Sanjiaoyong Culture and History Workshop in 1994. Because of the need of multiple developments, Organization for the Advancement of Sanjiaoyong Culture was officially established for studying and preserving the cultural property and promoting the culture, education, and the quality of the living environment in Sansai town in 1996. Now the affairs of the organization are to boost blue-dyeing and community culture to the public.
Sansia Dyehouse was set up by the organization in 2001 for offering married women in the community an opportunity to learn how to dye clothes. The major cultural products contain blue-dyeing teaching, DIY blue-dyeing, blue-dyed artifacts, and so forth.

Subsidiary Sansia Dyehouse—
Address：No.3, Lane 20, Zhongshan Rd., Sanxia Town, Taipei County 237, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel：(02)8671-3108
Time For Experiencing DIY Blue-Dyeing：
Weekday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Accept group reservations. 20 people at least.)
Sat. and Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Mon. Closed
＊Signing up guided tours is available.