HeySong Sarsaparilla: From a Mocked 'Third-Rate' Drink to the Century-Long Legend That Defeated the Cola Giants

30-Second Overview:
In 1925, Chang Wen-Chi (張文杞) founded the Jin-Xin Trading Company (進馨商會) in Taipei's back-train-station neighborhood, launching HeySong's (黑松) century-long journey. It was once contemptuously called "third-rate soda water" by Japanese merchants, and in 1949 saw its assets instantly shrink to just 17 dollars in the currency reform. Yet this distinctive beverage — originally American Root Beer, introduced to Taiwan via Shanghai — intertwined with Chang Yu-Sheng's (張雨生) voice in the 1980s to become the most resilient cultural symbol in the collective memory of the Taiwanese people.

In late 1924, in the back-train-station neighborhood on Zhengzhou Road, Taipei, the air was thick with coal smoke and the restlessness of commerce. The 22-year-old Chang Wen-Chi scraped together enough capital to purchase a "Niko Niko" marble-soda factory.¹ At the time, he may not have imagined that this "cooling business" would undergo two near-total asset wipeouts and ultimately evolve into Taiwan's most iconic national beverage.²

From Shanghai to Taiwan: Root Beer's Local Rebirth

HeySong's most famous product, "HeySong Sarsaparilla" (黑松沙士), actually has a transnational origin as a flavor experiment. The prototype for sarsaparilla is Root Beer, popular in the United States, which was introduced to Shanghai in the 1930s.³ Chang Wen-Chi discovered this beverage with its distinctive herbal taste during a Shanghai survey trip, and subsequently brought it to Taiwan, incorporating a proprietary secret formula and adapting it to Taiwanese palates to create "HeySong Sarsaparilla."⁴

However, in 1930s Taiwan, the soda water market was class-stratified. Japanese domestic imports such as Kirin and Mitsuya were considered "first-rate soda water," while Taiwan's domestically produced beverages were mocked by Japanese merchants as "third-rate goods."⁵ To fight back, Chang Wen-Chi officially launched "HeySong Soda Water" (黑松汽水) in 1931, attempting to break through with a high-quality domestic brand.⁶

The Dark Era of Being Numbered: When the Trademark Disappeared

The real challenge was not only competition — it was also political. In 1938, as the shadow of World War II spread, Taiwan's Governor-General implemented a "Control Association" (統制組合) policy, semi-forcibly taking over all civilian soda water factories.⁷ HeySong's newly built Zhonglun factory was coldly assigned the number "Factory No. 8."⁵

"It seemed like it was built especially for the Control Association," Chang Wen-Chi's brother Chang Yu-Sheng (張有盛) lamented helplessly at the time (quoted in HeySong's Century Path).⁵ For those years, HeySong's trademark was abandoned and it could only produce soda water under unified labels like "Nanjin Brand" or "Association Brand." This was a dark period in which operating rights were completely lost — Taiwanese people's brand dream was forced to fall silent under the machinery of war.⁷

📝 Curator's Note: A brand is most vulnerable not when it has no money, but in the moment when even its name is not allowed to be spoken.

The 17-Dollar Miracle: From Asset Wipeout to Starting Over

In 1945, Taiwan was restored to the Republic of China. Chang Yu-Sheng exclaimed with excitement: "The soda water industry also sees the light again."⁵ But fate's joke was not yet finished. In 1949, the Nationalist government implemented currency reform, stipulating that "40,000 old Taiwan dollars would be exchanged for 1 new Taiwan dollar."⁸

This decree was a devastating blow to HeySong. The NT$680,000 in assets that Chang Wen-Chi had accumulated since the end of the war instantly shrank to just 17 new Taiwan dollars after the currency exchange.⁵ Current board chairman Chang Pin-Tang (張斌堂) still carries a photocopy of that shareholder register with him to this day, reminding himself to "never forget those days."⁸

Those 17 dollars did not cause the Chang family to retreat — they sparked even stronger resilience. In 1950, HeySong Sarsaparilla officially launched on the market. That distinctive flavor with notes reminiscent of medicinal herbs unexpectedly aligned with Taiwanese dietary habits of "cooling down (降火氣)," opening HeySong's golden era.⁹

Avoiding the SARS Shadow: The Renaming Story of HeySong

Since its 1950 launch, HeySong Sarsaparilla had always used "Sarsaparilla" as its English trademark name. However, in 2003, when the SARS epidemic broke out in Taiwan, because the abbreviation and pronunciation of "Sarsaparilla" were very close to "SARS," HeySong immediately changed its English name to "HeySong Sarsaparilla" to avoid negative consumer associations, while maintaining the unchanged Chinese name, which has been used to this day.³

Regarding this renaming, there is also another folk explanation: some believe that as competing sarsaparilla brands entered the market, HeySong decided to add its corporate name "HeySong" in order to strengthen brand recognition and protect trademark rights.³ Whatever the true motivation, this renaming became an interesting footnote in Taiwan's brand history, intertwined with a major social event.

My Future Is Not a Dream: The Mark of Struggle in Song

Entering the 1980s, HeySong Sarsaparilla welcomed the most glorious cultural moment in its brand history. In 1988, HeySong Sarsaparilla launched an advertisement starring newcomer singer Chang Yu-Sheng (張雨生), with the background music being that song that became famous throughout the island: "My Future Is Not a Dream."¹⁰

The combination of this song with HeySong Sarsaparilla precisely captured the Taiwan of that era — after martial law was lifted, during the economic takeoff — when young people's longing and fighting spirit toward the future. Chang Yu-Sheng's bright vocals intertwined with the refreshing fizz of HeySong Sarsaparilla, making "HeySong Sarsaparilla" more than just a beverage — it became a synonym for the Taiwanese dream.¹¹

📝 Curator's Note: In Taiwan, the most powerful algorithm is often not data but the "corner-store-style" (柑仔店式) friendship between people, and the melody that can reach into the heart at a crucial moment.

The Integrity Turning Point: The 1984 Safrole Storm

Before Chang Yu-Sheng's voice rang out, HeySong faced a devastating crisis. In 1984, tests by the Consumer Protection Foundation found that commercially available sarsaparilla contained the carcinogenic substance safrole (黃樟素).¹² HeySong chose not to argue — it immediately announced a complete market recall of all sarsaparilla and thoroughly changed the formula, developing a new flavor entirely free of safrole.¹³ This act of "cutting off a limb to survive" (壯士斷腕), though causing enormous losses, won long-term consumer trust.

Aftertaste: Those Bubbles with a Pinch of Salt

Today's HeySong has passed its century mark — from marble soda to interactive vending machines, it still stands on Taiwan's streets.¹⁴ Folk tradition holds that "sarsaparilla with salt" is a remedy for cooling down, and HeySong even took the opportunity in 2000 to launch a "Salted Sarsaparilla" product.¹⁵

In 2025, HeySong celebrated its 100th anniversary.¹ Looking back at those 17-dollar origins, HeySong's story tells us: on the island of Taiwan, the most enduring brands are often those who, even in their darkest moments, still believed that "cool refreshment" could bring hope.

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