Do you remember the simple cover of old televisions and radios or the penguin shaped rubbish bin that stood quietly in the corner of the park, the telephone kiosk at the side of the sidewalk and the plastic box used to hold drinks cans during outdoor banquets? These were all made by the Veterans Plastic Works. Do you know that plastic was also used for psychological warfare and to make military speedboats? Veterans Plastic Works was established in the 1970s. It was a state-owned business that was part of the military veterans’ affairs system. Its employees were mainly retired servicemen. The works produced military-use products and also products used by ordinary people in their daily lives. The most special and most mysterious products were the balloons the works made for use in psychological warfare operations against China. The balloon R&D and manufacturing process was top secret so the balloons were given the codename “sweeping products”. Interestingly, the first batch of balloons made were not supplied to the R.O.C. military, they were supplied to South Korea for use in psychological warfare operations against the North.

      Veterans Plastic Works passed through a period of economic and political transformation in Taiwan. From the organizational change and result related archives the development of the veterans affairs system, military product supply, industry-school cooperation and support given to other state-owned businesses can be seen.

      To preserve and share these archives, The Digital Preservation Program of Government-owned Enterprises Archives of Taiwan of the National Archives Administration has published a Veterans Plastic Works archive collection and established a themed webpage: http://va.archives.gov.tw/rsp/index.asp). Everyone is welcome to use the Veterans Plastic Works archives.

Introduction to the Veterans Plastic Works collection

      The cover of “Splendor Reproduced- Veterans Plastic Works, Signet 1” collection and e-book cover

      Veterans Plastic Works was established in 1972 and supplied government agencies with the plastic products they need. The factory produced a variety of products, from low tech plastic bags, cups, drinks boxes to high tech balloons and speedboats. As competition became intense and in coordination with the government’s privatization policy, the works closed down on July 1, 2003. Its archives had been transferred to the National Archives Administration for preservation.

      To bring into play the application value of the archives, the National Archives Administration invited experts to conduct research into the archives, in June 2008 publishing “Splendor Reproduced- Veterans Plastic Works, Signet 1.” The book has six chapters: overall discussion, the building of the works, the works’ operating situation, the Veterans Plastic Works and “sweeping products,” the privatization of the works and conclusion and an e-book was also produced.

        It is the first in a series of Government-owned business collections that will be published for the use of researchers and to assist members of the public understand state owned business, their development and changes, from the angle of archives. They can also be the source of value added archive related derivative products to encourage the people of Taiwan to stress the preservation of Government-owned Enterprises archives and promote their opening and application.

      This is Book 1 in the Government-owned Enterprises Digital Archives collection series. To view the interesting contents , please go to  http://www.archives.gov.tw/publications／Administration publications／Splendor reproduced- Government-owned Enterprises Digital Archives collection– Veterans Plastic Works／Splendor reproduced- Veterans Plastic Works and download the pdf file.

Introduction to the Veterans Plastic Works archives webpage

      The Veterans Plastic Works archives webpage is the first themed webpage in the Government-owned Enterprises Digital Archives Project. A story-telling method is used to introduce the works. Veterans Plastic Works archives and precious photographs have been placed in the “Precious Archive Browsing Hall” and in the e-album, allowing users to understand the works and gain a deeper impression of its products through lively cartoons and games.

      For more splendid contents please go to “Themed Archives Area” of the National Archives Administration’s virtual archives: http://va.archives.gov.tw.

             Veterans Plastic Works webpage –                     Veterans Plastic Works webpage -

             People’s livelihood construction cartoon    Balloon cartoon