Often the favorite choice of cakes for traditional festivals and ceremonies, Kuo Kuan Ye 郭元益 (Guōyuányì) is a significant piece of Taiwan’s culture. Since its establishment in 1867, Kuo Kuan Ye has become the first choice for pineapple cake and mooncake, no matter the generation or the season.
Though the brand maintains its original store in Shilin, Taipei, and even has a small tourism factory there too, Taoyuan Yangmei’s Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry is the real gem of Kuo Kuan Ye.
Among the things to do and see in Taiwan, and even Taoyuan for that matter, the Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry is a must visit for anyone interested in exploring Taiwan’s rich (and delicious culture).
What to do at the Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry?
The Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry in Yangmei is not just a tourism factory. In fact, the building itself is often advertised as a destination in its own right. It is the first ‘green building’ to be constructed among Taiwan’s tourism factories, and is also the first factory with a ‘Chinese palace facade’.
Aside from its external acclaim, the Museum of Cake and Pastry also offers visitors a detailed guided tour and opportunity to purchase select goodies. In addition to the original ticket price, you can also purchase an additional ticket online for a DIY experience to make your own goodies.
Here’s more information for the different sections:
1. Pastry Culture Museum
In this guided tour, visitors will learn about the role cakes and pastries play in Taiwan’s culture, specifically in traditional rituals and ceremonies. A key player in births, weddings, funerals, and festivals, Taiwan has a deep and delicious relationship with a variety of products that the Kuo Kuan Ye company manufactures, specifically mooncake.
If you’ve pretended to know what mooncake, or simply don’t know, here’s a quick slideshow to help you out.
2. Shopping Area
The shopping area of the Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry is my favorite spot within the whole complex because…tasters! Essentially a gift store filled with Kuo Kuan Ye cake and pastry products, visitors can redeem their $50 ticket here as a shopping coupon.
Though $50 is peanuts compared to what some of these products cost, you can be sure to find at least one tempting delight that isn’t going for an outrageous price. Maybe two, but that might be pushing it.
Can I order cake products online?
Unable to visit this Taoyuan tourism factory? Don’t worry, you can still order goodies online from the Kuo Kuan Ye shopping platform.
Regardless of the season, there’s always a good reason to impulse buy all the yummy cakes and pastries this renowned company has to offer…like a box of 10 pineapple cakes for $350. What a sweet deal.
3. DIY Experience at Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry
Though prices are exponentially higher than the actual ticket to the museum, we really recommend having a go at Kuo Kuan Ye’s DIY experiences. With 3 activities to choose from, this is by far the highlight of this Taoyuan tourism factory.
To reserve your place for an activity, you have to book in advance either:
- Online at Kkday or the Kuo Kuan Ye website.
- By phone: 886-3-4962201.
So, what can cake can you make at Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry?
Pineapple Shortcake DIY
Ever wanted to try your hand at making Taiwan’s famous pineapple cake? Now you can! With this 3 hour long DIY pineapple shortcake activity, participants can make their own tasty treatsty treats. If you book online at the Museum’s website, tickets will cost $400 per person.
For the more sleuthy of you, we recommend taking the special discount on Kkday where for $500 you can get two tickets (for 1 adult and 1 child). A true bargain.
✨Tip!✨
A DIY cake experience at Kuo Kuan Ye isn't just confined to Taoyuan. If you happen to find yourself in and around Shilin area in Taipei, go on and head over to the **original** Kuo Kuan Ye branch for a pineapple cake DIY from just NTD $210 per person!Creative Pastry DIY
This creative cookie and pastry experience is Kuo Kuan Ye’s most popular DIY activity. We’re not exactly sure what it entails so why don’t you reserve your spot today to see why (and tell us, please)!
Mini Pea Filling Cake DIY
The name might not sound that appealing, but this is actually a really special and tasty cake. Still not convinced? Okay, ever had a mooncake and felt that smooth texture? Imagine that but without the egg and voila! Pea cake. Albeit these are mini.
As a product that has become somewhat synonymous with the Kuo Kuan Ye brand, the pea-filled cake is most often eaten during Lunar New Year, but you can try your hand at making one all year round with this DIY experience.
Don’t forget to book online to avoid disappointment.
Admission to Kuo Kuan Ye Museum
Though admission to the Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry is not free, tickets are fairly inexpensive. They can also be redeemed as shopping coupons in the shopping area, although they won’t make that much of a dent on the actual product price.
| Ticket Price | Required Criteria |
| $50 | Adults |
| $25 | Seniors aged 65 and above; Disabled persons |
If you’re driving to the musuem – I really don’t know of another way to ge there – here’s the relevant information you’ll need.
| Address: | No.3 Lane 9, Qingnian Road, Youth Industrial Park, Yangmei, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Google Maps) |
| Open hours: | Everyday 9am to 5:30pm |
🥮Conclusion🥮
Okay, so I’m actually of two minds about this Taoyuan toursim factory. On the one hand, this cake and pastry brand is super popular in Taiwan, so it’s nice to get an insight into its history and development. The tour also gives visitors a pretty detailed idea of the origins and practice of cake in Taiwan culture.
On the other hand, I was expecting it to be more like a Taoyuan tourism factory rather than purely a museum. True, it was in the name all along, but this really had the potential to become a highlight of my Taoyuan Factory Tours / Taoyuan Tourism Factory series. With visitors not being privy to seeing any of the cool cake production process in action, Kuo Kuan Ye Musuem of Cake and Pastry certainly does not offer the classic Taoyuan factory tour experience.
That said, as things to do and see in Taiwan go, Kuo Kuan Ye as a brand plays an important part in Taiwan’s culture. And the DIY experiences are quite unique and entertaining.
So, all in all, is the Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry worth it? If you book a DIY, I’d say so. Not least because you’ll get an extra treat to take away. If you can’t/won’t get a DIY, then I’d honestly recommend skipping this Taoyuan tourism factory. The 30 minute tour just isn’t worth the travel.
Don’t let this get you down though, there are plenty of other things to do and see in Taiwan, as well as other Taoyuan tourism factories to explore!
What Taoyuan Tourism Factories Are There?
Glad you asked! Aside from being known as the airport district – no really, politicians love calling Taoyuan this – Taoyuan is also viewed as an industrial hub for factories and innovation. With several industrial parks calling this area home, you can bet that there are plenty of interesting and entertaining toursim factories just waiting to be explored.
Like Shu Shin Bou 手信坊. This Japanese cake brand is famous for its Hokkaido cream-filled pancakes – you can even find them in 7-11! See the whole production process for yourself in their cool ninja-themed Taoyuan factory tour!
♥️ Visited Kuo Kuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry? Want to know more about things to do and see in Taiwan? Let me know in the comments! ♥️
