About 10000 years ago, sweet potatoes originated in the tropical areas of America and were grown by Indians. With the arrival of the Great Navigation Era, the sweet potato began its voyage.

►In the 15th Century
Columbus arrived in America in 1493 and discovered the sweet potato in Haiti.  He then brought it back home and introduced it to the Spanish Queen.

►In the 16th Century
Another route for sweet potatoes to spread was through the Portuguese, who traded slaves with Brazilians. Sweet potatoes then spread from the Atlantic Ocean to Africa, passed by the Cape of Good Hope and arrived in India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.

►The 17th Century
In 1615, the Americans brought sweet potatoes to Mumbai while trading there.
In 1648, the English introduced it to America.
In 1684, General Tokugawa Bakufu imported sweet potatoes from China.

►Sweet Potatoes Arrived in Taiwan
In 1624, during the period of Dutch rule, immigrants from Fujian Province brought sweet potatoes to Taiwan and started to grow them here.
In 1662, during the regime of Cheng Cheng-Kung, sweet potatoes were widely grown to in order to replace rice.

►Sweet potato comes to Xinhua
Xinhua suited to grow sweet potato because of soil and weather since in 1895-1945 during Japanese colonial period in Taiwan. Xinhua becomes a famous place for sweet potato to produce and processed industry.