Profile ＼ History

History
The Kuo Family crossed the sea to Taiwan from Fujian, China in 1708. Kuo Liang-Zhen founded the pastry shop “Yuan Ye” on the Old Street in Shilin in 1867. "Yuan Ye" was the name of the Kuo family’s ancestral house in Fujian. In 1945, the third-generation owner of the pastry shop, Kuo Qin-Ding, added the family name “Kuo” in front of “Yuan Ye”. Since then, Kuo Yuan Ye has become the name of the pastry shop known to the public.
The pastry shop was small when it was operated by the first-generation owner, Kuo Liang-Zhen. Because of the war, the economic climate was bad during the Japanese Colonial Period. The second-generation operator, Kuo Ba-Qiu, tried very hard to operate the business. It wasn’t until the third-generation operator, Kuo Qin-Ding, took over the pastry shop that the business started to grow obviously. Kuo Yuan Ye Food Co., Ltd. was established then. After 1960, the economy in Taiwan began taking off, and the business of Kuo Yuan Ye also started growing better and better.
Due to the popularity of Hong Kong dramas between 1980 and 1990, Hong Kong’s Maria's Bakery introduced Western-style wedding cakes to Taiwan. Many people in Taiwan flocked to buy them. Maria’s Bakery had a profound impact on the pastry industry in Taiwan, including Kuo Yuan Ye’s business. Kuo Yuan Ye started to develop more Western-style pastries. The decoration of the pastry shops changed from the traditional Chinese red tile style to modern minimalist interior design. Kuo Yuan Ye’s logo and the clerks’ uniforms were also redesigned. Gradually, the business of Kuo Yuan Ye recovered. Until now, Kuo Yuan Ye has become one of the leading pastry shops in Taiwan.

The museum displays the history of Kuo Yuan Ye	The Kuo Family crossed the sea to Taiwan
Kuo Yuan Ye pastry shop in Shilin	Kuo Yuan Ye pastry shop