Ri Xing Type Foundry

Ri Xing Type Foundry was founded by the first-generation owner, Zhang Xiling, in the 58th year of the Republic (1969). It specialized in producing lead type and was named 'Ri Xing' (Day Star) with the hope of 'producing daily.' In 1986 (75th year of the Republic), computer typesetting officially entered Taiwan's printing market. Coupled with the production of affordable offset printing machines, highly efficient and labor-saving offset printing gradually replaced letterpress printing, becoming the primary printing method, which in turn affected the entire letterpress printing industry chain. By 2000 (89th year of the Republic), after Taiwan's largest type foundry, Zhongnan Type Foundry, ceased operations, Ri Xing Type Foundry officially became the only type foundry in Taiwan still continuously producing lead type. Today, Zhang Jieguan is Taiwan's last remaining type caster, and 'Ri Xing Type Foundry' has become Taiwan's last type foundry, and even the world's last Traditional Chinese type foundry; type casting has become a vanishing craft. After current owner Zhang Jieguan took over Ri Xing Type Foundry, he upheld the spirit of 'as long as there is one letterpress printing house left in Taiwan, Ri Xing will continue to produce lead type.' For over forty years without interruption, he has cast lead type with fire, safeguarding Taiwan's world heritage in a modern society of light and electricity. The foundry's original business involved the front-end processes of letterpress printing: type casting and type picking. However, over the past 25 years, the letterpress printing industry has been completely replaced by digital printing. This has caused both the foundry's front-end processes and the downstream letterpress printing processes of typesetting and printing to shrink to near extinction. In addition to its original type casting and picking business, Ri Xing Type Foundry has also continuously conducted workshops and teaching on typesetting and platen press printing in recent years through educational promotion, allowing lead type works to be printed and presented. Therefore, Ri Xing Type Foundry currently fully preserves the mechanisms for font restoration, copper mold engraving, lead type casting, typesetting, and platen press printing within the letterpress printing process. Only the final binding needs to be outsourced. Second-generation head Zhang Jieguan is proficient in the aforementioned letterpress printing processes. Currently, the third generation, Zhang Jiantang, is also learning this disappearing craft. Furthermore, if staff members who join the factory are willing to learn, Mr. Zhang does not withhold his knowledge, allowing letterpress printing to be passed down. However, due to changes in industry structure and young people's employment attitudes, unlike the old days, few now dedicate their entire lives to a single job, which has led to a gap in talent cultivation. In recent years, Ri Xing Type Foundry has also gradually transformed with the support and assistance of the Taiwan Letterpress Printing Culture Preservation Association, various professionals, and enthusiastic volunteers. It insists on continuing to produce lead type, hoping to use its own strength to preserve this nearly vanished industry and craft. It also hopes to build a movable type printing craft museum in the future, preserving the various cultures of the type casting industry and letterpress printing, and giving new cultural heritage meaning to this ancient craft. Ri Xing Type Foundry's opening hours: Open to the public and foreign tourists every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, allowing them to purchase lead type or learn about the foundry.