Reflection of Our Visits
Jason│Justin│Stan│Michael│Alex│Andre│Eugene│Kevin
Jason
On November 8, a few teachers and the students in our group went out for a visit to Hsin Tung Yang. We knew a little about Hsin Tung Yang before the visit. Hsin Tung Yang was founded by Mr. Mai in the 1960s under the name "Tung Yang Cantonese BBQ shop", and it is now the Taipei Wuchang store. In addition, there are many special Hsin Tung Yang distributions, which include stores at rest areas and Taoyuan International Airport. The profit generated from the Qingshui rest area accounts for 15% of Hsin Tung Yang’s total revenue, and that is not a small percentage!
Our first stop was the first store – the Wuchang location. The store section manager greeted with a smile and began to introduce the products to us. Whether it was the products, choice of product placement, or the technology used for manufacturing, the store section manager used words we could understand to introduce them to us. She also answered the questions we raised. She recommended us to visit the Zongxiao store because the Zhongxiao store serves delicious ice cream. She explained to us that if there is a product that has not been bought by consumers, they need to place the products to where the consumers can see easily, or transfer the goods to the stores where they sell better. At the store, we tried some of their delicious products, and we all walked out of the store with smiles on our faces.
Next, we arrived at the Hsin Tung Yang Taoyuan factory. The manager, Mr. Chiang, had been waiting for us. First, he introduced a new product of Hsin Tung Yang to us. There are some new products that Hsin Tung Yang has designed for people with special needs. For example, some people cannot eat sugar, resulting in the creation of sugarless meat floss products. Next, he explained that, for the factory’s sanitation measures, you can only exit the restrooms in the factories after washing and drying your hands. In the production area, employees may not wear perfume, bracelets, rings or other jewelry. Hsin Tung Yang is the first Taiwanese shop to pass the ISO 9001 (Quality Management System) and advanced HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system, which helps consumers to trust in their products.
Hsin Tung Yang has a special distribution location in the airport, and they adhere to the values of integrity, trust, initiative and innovation as well as delicacy, quality, and hospitality when operating the business. To be a staff member at the airport, you need enthusiasm to bring happiness to consumers, and you also need to be proficient in more than one language. Anyone who has worked at the airport store location certainly remembers this special story. Once, there was a foreign man who sat on the chair in the airport for three days, so people came to talk to him. The man said he had been lied to by someone, and his money was taken away by the same person. Then, the clerk told several friends who are acquainted with Hsin Tung Yang’s airport store location manager about the Indian man, and the manager found a way to send the man back home.
Hsin Tung Yang is in charge of operations of three rest areas, which are the Guanxi, Qingshui, and Nantou rest area. We did not visit those places because they are too far away, and we only had a virtual tour through video. The theme of the rest area in Guanxi is the sea. The Nantou rest area’s theme is the aboriginal culture LAMUNGAN, and it’s decorated using features of the aboriginal tribes.
On this journey, we brought three bags of Hsin Tung Yang products back home. However, something we received that is even more valuable to us than the products is knowledge.
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Justin
We have learned a lot on this trip to visit Hsin Tung Yang. We saw a new range of goods inside the first store of Hsin Tung Yang. We visited the store in November, and the marketing schedule was "Imported Snacks" at that time. Also, there is Cantonese BBQ at the left side of the store, and the rest of the store was displayed with variety of goods. Hsin Tung Yang doesn’t set up on a glass door at the entrance of the store; they welcome all consumers to walk in at any time.
Then we visit the factory, we had to put on slippers they prepared for us before entered the factory. We could see Hsin Tung Yang has considered every detail in the factory. We briefly watched a short video about the factory, after that we had a tour of the factory. We learned a lot about the process of making meat product.
Then, we headed to the airport. We had lunch at the airport before the visit. At the airport, we were very lucky to have a special experience to make pineapple cakes by ourselves. Also, we learned that there are many different services at the airport, such as the charging area, free Wi-Fi and stores of Taiwanese specialties and restaurant with different traditional cuisines.
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Stan
I’ve learned a lot from Hsin Tung Yang. Some might consider Hsin Tung Yang is a firm that is somehow conservative, but not for the employees in Hsin Tung Yang. When we first stepped into the first store of Hsin Tung Yang at Wuchang St., we found out it was very different than we had imagined. There was an open-wide door and are piles and piles of products in the store. There were imported snacks, jerkies, and also Taiwanese traditional food, Hsin Tung Yang’s dried pork floss, meat paste, sausage etc. We were stunned by the variety of the products. There was also Hsin Tung Yang Cantonese BBQ lunchboxes nearby the counter. When we interviewed the store manager and the assistant store manager, they greeted us with enthusiasm and answered with patient. During the interview, the store manager said that she hasn’t had Chinese New Year Eve dinner with her family since she has worked as the Store Manager of the First Store. She has worked during the Spring Festival for years, but she is happy about it. She believed that each product that was sold that made two to three families happy and grateful. Therefore, that is why there is a saying in Hsin Tung Yang- I am delivering happiness.
When we arrived at the Dayuan factory of Hsin Tung Yang, the atmosphere was refreshing. We followed the Section Manager of Dayuan Factory to get in the factory and watched a video about Hsin Tung Yang. While we were watching the video, one of our teammate just came back from the bathroom, and the Manager asked him “Did you get stuck in the bathroom? There is a special design!”, and yes; he was stuck. Next, we went to the “Historical Hallway”. There is a lot of information about the historical developments of Hsin Tung Yang, like the important dates, the introduction of chairman and its mascot. At the end of the hallway, there are pictures and clear explanation of how they manufacture jerky, meat paste, sausage. We were also very lucky to see the facilities and equipments that make the jerky, meat paste, sausage etc. through the windows at the hallway. At last, we decided to “explore” the bathrooms at the factory. We found out that everyone has to wash and dry their hands before leaving the bathroom. The manager said this design was one of the measures of sanitation control to ensure the quality of the food. So interesting!
It was a fantastic experience at the shopping center at Terminal One at Taoyuan International Airport. This splendid place was decorated and designed by Hsin Tung Yang. There is an underground food court, which provides Taiwan traditional cuisines. There are also cultural and creative shops, aboriginal handicraft shops, and a Chinese pastry shop. It was near Christmas when we visited the airport, so we saw a lot of Christmas decorations and even Santa Clause everywhere along with resting areas. The resting areas provide free Wi-Fi for all the travelers.
At last, we went to the Headquarters of Hsin Tung Yang. We were disappointed because the General Manager of Hsin Tung Yang was not able available during the time of our visit. However, the Assistant General Manager was there to answer all our interview questions. During the interview, we had noticed the principles of Hsin Tung Yang, Delicacy, Quality, and, Hospitality. Quality makes the great reputation; the great reputation guarantees the quality. Hsin Tung Yang has insisted on its principles for 40 years. Also, they have core values of integrity, trust, initiation, innovation, which is also their motto of management.
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Michael
Recently, I attended a competition called the International Cyberfair with my friends. Our topic is Hsin Tung Yang. My teacher arranged a day for us to visit Hsin Tung Yang and interview the staff. Here is our schedule. First, we went to the first store of Hsin Tung Yang – the Wuchang Store. After that, we visited the factory in Dayuan. Then, we visited the stores at Terminal One of Taoyuan International Airport. Finally, we had a chance to visit the Headquarterss of Hsin Tung Yang.
After half an hour drive, we arrived at the first store of Hsin Tung Yang. This is a tiny store, and it is not as big as I imagined, but the staff here is full of passion with their work. After we enjoyed some delicious jerky, we had the chance to interview some of the staff members. The store manager told us that, to be a store manager at Hsin Tung Yang, one must have at least four years of work experience with Hsin Tung Yang. It is not easy to become a store manager. If someone wanted to be a store manager of Hsin Tung Yang, he or she has to sacrifice vacation days to pass out the catalogue or DM of products to the people on the street. Also, the person has to be passionate about his or her work.
The store manager explained the traceability system to us. She told us that the traceability system is the QR code for Hsin Tung Yang. The code is printed on the package of the products. Consumers could scan the QR code to get all the information of the product, such as the supplier source and other information about the products they are interested in. I learned a lot from the store manager. I am very thankful for her help!
Next, we visited the factory of Hsin Tung Yang in Taoyuan. The factory was built in 1987. Hsin Tung Yang makes jerky, canned food, cake, and other products in the factory. During special holidays, the factory would also make some special products, such as rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival or moon cakes during the Moon Festival. Hsin Tung Yang provides these goods with different flavors to serve the needs of different consumers. The manager of the factory told us about the history of Hsin Tung Yang. I learned the history of Hsin Tung Yang during the trip.
Then, we arrived at Terminal One of Taoyuan International Airport, which is managed by Hsin Tung Yang. Here, we made pineapple cakes by ourselves at the airport and visited each corner of the airport. We learned a lot of things that we had never known. Next time when my family and I are at the airport, I will show them what I had learned.
After the visit to the airport, we finally arrived at the last stop, the Headquarterss of Hsin Tung Yang. When we got there, we heard the bad news that Mr. Mai was not available, but the Assistant General Manager of Hsin Tung Yang was there to answer all of our questions.
I learned a lot about Hsin Tung Yang today, and I also enjoyed some delicious jerky. What a fantastic trip!
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Alex
On November 28th, 2015, those of us who joined the Cyberfair competition and three teachers were scheduled to interview with the staff of Hsin Tung Yang. We were all excited to interview the employees of the firm.
We took a ride for about half an hour. When we got to the first store of Hsin Tung Yang, every staff member welcomed us with great hospitality. The store manager showed us most of the products and spoke about the topic that we were most interested in – the traceability system. Hsin Tung Yang is the first food company to use the traceability system in Taiwan. The first product to use the traceability system is the black pork sausage. The store manager said that the traceability system is expensive, and most companies do not want to use it. However, to ensure consumers’ food safety, Hsin Tung Yang insists on using the traceability system. She used the QR code to show us how the traceability system works. After the interview, we learned that Hsin Tung Yang does not only sell meat products and cake products, but it also sells Taiwanese local specialty.
When we finished the interview, we were ready to go to our next destination – the Dayuan factory. When we arrived, we changed in to slippers and followed the factory supervisor to a conference room. The supervisor led us through the “Time Tunnel,” and that is where we learned about the start of the firm and how it has changed over the years. When we looked through Hsin Tung Yang’s factory, we noticed that there are different sections of working areas. For example, there is the canning area, the meat processing production area, etc. To maintain the sanitation of the factory, there are some rules to follow when you go inside the areas. As an example, you cannot wear nail polish and perfume when you go into the factory. Furthermore, you must go through the air-shower room before entering the factory. Even the bathroom has a rule; you need to wash your hands and use the hand dryer before the door will be opened for exiting.
After we visited the factory, we left for Terminal One of Taoyuan International Airport and had lunch there. While we were eating our lunch, we saw the manager of the airport Hsin Tung Yang store location. She led us around the airport after we finished our lunch. We saw the art area, the public service area, the shopping area, and the food court. Hsin Tung Yang is very thoughtful because they provide visitors with a nice resting area. The manager of the airport store location said that every staff member who works in the airport needs to be passionate and know how to speak different languages. Hsin Tung Yang hopes to give every visitor a nice, quiet area for resting, so they set up a charging station, massage chairs, and a reading area, etc.
After we interviewed the manager, we arrived at the headquarters of Hsin Tung Yang. We saw that every employee was concentrated on his or her own work, and this means Hsin Tung Yang treats their employees well, and the employees are enthusiastic about their job. We went in the conference room and met the assistant general manager, and he showed us a short film of the service area. Unfortunately, the general manager was not able to attend the interview because something had suddenly come up for him. Most people are curious about what a general managers’ job involves. The assistant general manager explained that the general manager represents the board of directors, sets the goals of the firm, selects the employees, and represents the company. We also asked questions about the airport. We asked why Hsin Tung Yang started to expand by special distribution. The assistant general manager explained that the international airport represents Taiwan, and Hsin Tung Yang represents the food industry. Therefore, Hsin Tung Yang hopes to give foreign visitors the best memory of Taiwan.
During the interview with Hsin Tung Yang staff members, I felt that Hsin Tung Yang truly does adhere to the values of delicacy, quality, and hospitality. One-eighth of Hsin Tung Yang’s employees have worked in the firm for over ten years, which means that Hsin Tung Yang treats the employees very well. I hope that Hsin Tung Yang can pass on their great hospitality to more and more people.
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Andre
We finally had the chance to visit Hsin Tung Yang! Everyone in our group was so excited because we do not normally have the chance to visit big firms like Hsin Tung Yang. We went to Hsin Tung Yang’s first store, the factory in Dayuan, stores in the airport, then finally the Headquarterss of Hsin Tung Yang.
When we arrived at Hsin Tung Yang’s first store, we immediately felt welcomed. There were many staff members waiting for us, and they patiently and kindly showed us around the shop. I looked around at the displays of the store. The first thing we noticed was the imported goods and the specialties of Taiwan. The manager of the first store immediately explained to us why they placed the imported goods there for display; this is because Hsin Tung Yang wants consumers to not only buy traditional meat products, but also imported goods and local specialties, too. Hsin Tung Yang has a traceability system that allows consumers to get more information about the production process of products, raw materials purchasing, and processing procedures through the use of the QR code.
We went to the factory in Taoyuan after the first store. Hsin Tung Yang’s Dayuan factory was established in 1987, and it now produces western-styled meat, pastries, and Taiwanese special festive cuisines such as dumplings and the moon cake. Hsin Tung Yang introduced the wastewater treatment from the Netherlands, obtained the U.S. FDA standard manufacturer certification, and gained ISO9001 (design + manufacturing) certification. This factory is one of the most advanced factories in Taiwan. We walked though a long hallway and the section manager of the Dayuan factory showed us each machine patiently, including the machine that disinfects the cans. The tour made us realize that each product is thoroughly inspected at different checkpoints. Each production line has about 20-30 people. When the consumers have the beef jerky in his or her hand, it is the result of the work and effort of many people, so we should cherish it.
Then, we headed to the Taoyuan International Airport, we even joked about we how we were “leaving the country.” During the 15-minute drive, we saw many aircrafts flash pass by, and it made me feel as if I was really going aborad. As soon as we arrived at Terminal One, we saw a Hsin Tung Yang sign immediately, and it attracted everyone’s attention. When we go to the airport, we are usually busy going through customs and baggage check until the duty-free shops. People do not notice the sign of Hsin Tung Yang near the check-in counter. Many, like me, did not know that Hsin Tung Yang designed and built the food court at the airport. Hsin Tung Yang has selected many well-known restaurants and brands to place their counters in the food court. They promote the culture of Taiwan together. Hsin Tung Yang hopes that, through these shops, restaurants and arts, visitors can learn about the Taiwanese culture and enjoy its cuisine. The stores and the shopping center are designed according to the needs of the consumers. The manager of the airport operation department collects suggestion and complaints of consumers and tourists in order to improve the operation at the airport.
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Eugene
Aside from the food I got, today's visit helped me to gain a lot of valuable information. For example, I discovered that Hsin Tung Yang also sells lunchboxes; I had thought they only sold jerky. Now, I know they have many different kinds of products. Interestingly, many of Hsin Tung Yang 's products are limited by location, which means some products are only sold in certain stores. I have not been to every Hsin Tung Yang store, but I think the largest store is the store located below the headquarters of the firm. That store is three times the size of the first Hsin Tung Yang store, and they serve beef noodle soup and even ice-cream. Every store sells products that are a little bit different, but what these stores have in common is that all the staff members are passionate about their work.
The most memorable experience from today was finding out about the recreational areas in the airport. I have traveled abroad many times, but I never knew that the basement of the airport has a gym, massage chairs, and a reading area; I was quite impressed with these areas. In addition to visiting the different areas in Taoyuan International airport, I also learned to make pineapple cakes. I only helped put the flour in the mold for packaging, but this task alone was quite difficult. I really admire the employees who work in the factory. The most exciting part of making pineapple cakes was putting them in the bag. You need to put the pineapple cake in a paper bag and heat it up, and the bag will be sealed a second later. Then, the pineapple cake has to be put in a golden bag. There are some skills involved here, too, as you need to put the longer part of the bag under the cake. When you finish packaging all six pineapple cakes, you put them in a bigger golden box and tie a ribbon around it. When we finished making the pineapple cakes, we asked the manager some questions, and this improved my speaking skills. I also learned how the factory works, which helped me to gain a lot of information about Hsin Tung Yang.
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Kevin
The trip that we had looked forward to for a very long time finally began. First, we headed to the first store of Hsin Tung Yang. When we arrived, the manager treated us with Hsin Tung Yang’s meat products. Then, she told us that Hsin Tung Yang also sells Taiwanese specialties, Cantonese BBQ lunchboxes, lard oil, etc. The manager explained the manufacturing process of black pork and its product qualifications, and she also shows us how the QR code works. Also, she told us only few stores of Hsin Tung Yang sell Cantonese BBQ lunchboxes and ice cream. The manager kindly treated us to the famous Hsin Tung Yang egg rolls and pineapple cakes as she was telling us stories about the firm.
Then, we arrived at the Dayuan factory; we changed into slippers and toured the hallway of history. On the walls of the hallway are stories of Hsin Tung Yang and information about the manufacturing process of products. He told us that all ingredients must be used within one day. If the ingredients are not used up, employees would need to work overtime to finish them. Dayuan factory has earned many certifications, such as the ISO9001. The bathrooms at factory are very special because everyone needs to wash and dry his or her hands or the door will not open. Employees are not allowed to wear perfume and jewelry as a requirement of sanitation control.
We arrived and ate lunch at a Hakka restaurant in Taoyuan International Airport. There are many traditional cuisines at the food court. Also, there is a big board with the words “See you, Taiwan!” near customs. Then, we were lucky enough to have the experience of making Hsin Tung Yang’s pineapple cakes and take them home for our family. After making pineapple cakes, we had a tour of Terminal One. We saw many shops with Taiwanese food and specialties in there.
At the end, we went to the Zhongxiao store and the firm’s Headquarters. The Zhongxiao store sells ice cream. In addition, they have a kiosk database machine in the store. Then, we headed to the firm’s Headquarters. The Assistant General Manager showed us a video about highway rest areas before we interviewed him. I gathered a lot of information on that day.