A Sensory Journey: Discover the Healing Flavors of the Island
Located in Taoyuan, Taiwan, 77 Nougat's Republic of Chocolate is Asia’s first chocolate-themed museum. Founded by Hongya Foods in 2012, it served as the starting point for the brand’s tourism-oriented factory. Since 2023, the museum has undergone a major spatial transformation centered around the concept of the “Delicious Healing Island,” redefining the role of the park and evolving it into a multi-dimensional experimental hub that blends flavorful storytelling, knowledge exploration, sensory experiences, and brand services.
Stepping into the main exhibition area of the “Delicious Healing Island” is like embarking on a sensory journey dedicated to both the palate and the soul. The experience begins at the “Island Entry” on the first floor. Visitors use their smartphones, the official LINE account, and NFC sensors to engage with a personalized digital interactive system, collecting cocoa beans, gaining nutrients, and nurturing their very own cocoa tree. The exhibition combines narrative storytelling with interactive experiences, inviting each “islander” to cultivate a unique healing tree—planting memories while deepening an emotional connection with the brand.
On the island, 693 cocoa trees—each with its own unique style—come to life
As visitors explore the island, they trigger small knowledge stations about cocoa through NFC sensors, gaining nutrients that influence the texture, shape, color, and fruit of their cocoa trees. The designs are inspired by Hongya’s well-known brands, resulting in 693 uniquely styled cocoa trees.
In addition to answering cocoa-related quizzes, visitors can obtain nutrients by tapping cocoa beans on their phones, unlocking 11 types of “Delicious Magic” that affect the color palette of their cocoa trees. In the “Sensory Workshop,” participants can use their phone cameras with the LINE official account to piece together the key elements of their cocoa tree—including emotion, flavor, and texture—creating a unique, personalized healing recipe.
Planting a cocoa tree, keep the healing memories
The final chapter of the journey leads visitors to the heart of the exhibition to complete the last task—planting their very own digital cocoa tree. This tree, shaped by their participation and interaction, corresponds to different brands and comes with an exclusive coupon. Visitors can instantly share their tree on the large on-site screens, officially becoming a resident of the “Delicious Healing Island” and preserving a sweet memory of their experience.
Host｜HUNYA FOODS CO., LTD.
Project Director｜Republic of Chocolate
Design & Execution Director｜Seed Space Lab
Project Coordinator｜Seed Space Lab
Visual Design Director ｜PiliWu-Design
Interactive Technology Director｜iF Plus
Interactive Technology Project Manager｜Ariel Hsiao
Interactive Experience Planning｜Kiki Huang
Interface Development & Design｜Hanna Zhang
Programming & Development｜Pocky Lin
Photography｜Yuchen Chao Photography