The Gold Capital of Asia
Jiufen is about one hour’s travel from the political capital of Taiwan and has been dubbed as the the gold capital of Asia because of its enormous amount of gold production. Once a deserted old mining town perching on the hillside of northeastern Taiwan, Jiufen’s tourism started to boom thanks to a couple of successful TV commercials and, especially, a phenomenal box office triumph “A City of Sadness” by the accomplished movie director Mr. Hou Hsiao-hsien. Unnoticed and probably a bit unpopular before the full stop of metal production in 1980s, this picturesque heritage site has drawn a large number of visitors since early 1990s. Visiting that hilly region not only leaves you amazed by the glorious past of the mining town but also provides you with a memorable experience from a tour near Taipei city.
Glorious Past of the Gold Mining History of Taiwan
When it comes to the gold mining history of Taiwan, Jiufen always comes to mind first among Taiwanese people. Jinguashi (literally “pumpkin rock” in Chinese), which is exactly to the east of Jiufen on the other side of the hill, seems yet to be less mentioned. These two regions, however, made up the rich history of mining in northern Taiwan. To be more precise, the Jiufen area is mainly developed by contractors and subcontractors, but the Jinguashi area is chiefly managed under the colonial government during the Japanese era. So the former is more vibrant in its way of life and the latter appears to be cleaner and more organized in a sense. It is said that the gold rush began when the workers found the sand gold along the Keelung River during the construction of Taiwan’s first railway in the last few years of the Qing rule of the island.
A City of “Happiness”
During its peak days, Jiufen has more than 900 households living in the town. The literal meaning of the place name Jiufen is “nine portions” and we always joke that you’ll have to prepare for nearly a thousand portions of things now to give away in this mountain town. The truth is, however, the word “portions” in Chinese refers to a specific measuring unit in the camphor distillation industry and the name “nine portions” can actually give us a rough idea how big that area’s productive output is.
The gold mine has been depleted by decades of excavation and the logging of camphor trees can never be traced on the hillsides. What’s been left there are happy faces of domestic and overseas visitors as well as the old-fashioned teahouses that beautifully line up the step allies where the hanging red lanterns and mossy stairs will give you a feeling of great nostalgia for the old ways of miners’ daily lives. The whole town has a couple of decade-old “penetrating lanes”, of which some sections resemble narrow tunnels through the underparts of the houses. It would be interesting to try some of them besides sampling the local delicacies along the main street, Jishan Street.
Eat, Drink, and Push
Most visitors go on a half-day visit around the noon time because most of the shops and eateries won’t open until roughly 10 a.m. It might be shocking to learn that a great deal of them go there for foods and shopping souvenirs. If you’re one of them, you’ll find it quite difficult to push through the crowd in order to proceed more efficiently.
Many people stop again and again on their way not just because the narrow passage couldn’t fill in too many people but you’ll be certainly attracted by those intriguing souvenir shops and traditional noodle restaurants. This is where travelers can find a wide range of local foods, many of them are hardly found even in the rural areas of the country. According to the times of visit by tourists, the A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll is definitely a refreshing snack especially on a humid hot summer day.
Some of the “fish balls” and noodle shops can be ideal stops to give you more delicious carbs. One of the stinky tofu shops is amazing and my favorite will absolutely the only eatery that sells traditional “oil spring onion cake”, which used to be a common countryside dish made of rice and generally seasoned by homemade soy sauce.
One thing you shouldn’t miss is the “taro balls”, which are marshmallow-like chewy sticky rice balls garnished by mung beans, adzuki beans, or scarlet runner beans, served hot or with shaved ice. The super famous one is Auntie A-Gan Taro Ball, which is only a few steps down the century-old Jiufen Elementary School. The street map of the town is mainly webbed by two cross-like commercial streets, which join near the landmark teahouses A-Mei Teahouse, of which the appearance resembles the Japanese-style bathhouse in the animation movie “Spirited Away”.
Jinguashi Mining History
If you’re tired of the crowd in Jiufen and looking for a more authentic atmosphere of the mining past, you should include the neighboring area of Jinguashi, of which the name is derived from an outcrop resembling a pumpkin.
The whole area is about ten minute drive from Jiufen and it’s been even better preserved thanks to less promotion by the outsiders. You’ll find, however, well-preserved Japanese-type complexes dedicated to the mining business by the officials before the WWII. The major attraction here must be the Gold Museum, of which the whole compound used to be known as Gold Ecological Park of New Taipei City before 2004. This park is noted for more intact Japanese-style dormitories and offices used by miners and their supervisors roughly a hundred years ago. Some of the deserted buildings and refineries have been transformed into exhibition halls where you’ll get to know the history of gold and copper mining in the old days.
What’s more interesting is the Benshan Shaft No. Five, where you pay only NT$50 to visit the nearly 200-meter long tunnel decorated with some miners’ wax figures working in the shaft. In this best preserved mining shaft, you’ll understand the difficulties the miners were facing during the golden age of the local mining industry.
Adjacent to this tunnel is the main building of the Gold Museum, where the first floor is used to show guests the gold mining industry and related tools in the region and the second floor highlights a 220-kilo 999 gold brick, which is worth millions of dollars that you cannot even move physically though giving it a hands-on touch is generally encouraged. Foods and drinks are available here though they couldn’t compare to the more popular Jiufen area. For the avid hikers, try to go further up the trail for about ten minutes and you’ll find the most instagrammable ruins of a Shinto shrine, which explains the official status of this mining site.
Baoshishan, or the Mt. Siren
This little hilltop is a comparative new attraction because the trail was refurbished and reopened in 2018. The name of the mountain is derived from a siren placed on top of the hill to tell the time for people working in the mining town when hand watches are not affordable more than a hundred years ago.
The lookout’s elevation is about 260 meters above sea level and the view from the hilltop deck is 360 degrees. It merely takes less then ten minutes through the entire 160-meter-long path from the parking lot and this popular IG check-in spot amazingly offers you panoramic view of the surrounding hills and the ocean down below.
At the end of the valley to the west of that mountain lies the famous Yin-Yang Sea, or the Bay of Two Colors. The drastic contrast of the blue color of the ocean and the brownish color from the suspended iron hydroxide right outside the creek mouth mystically dots the photogenic northeast coast of Taiwan. The Mt. Siren provides you with an even higher location to overlook the whole Shuinandong coastal area, of which the development directly related to the mining of gold and copper in Jinguashi.
Golden Waterfall Without Gold
Ten minutes’ drive down the steep mountain road from the Gold Museum lies another fascinating place of interest. The Golden Waterfall is a little cascade near the Bay of Two Colors to the east of the soaring cliff of Mt. Keelung, which stands majestically to the north of the saddle part of the two aforementioned mining areas – Jiufen and Jinguashi. The tawny color of the waterfall comes from the brownish sediments of iron hydroxide instead of the water itself. The highly acidic water forms through the chemical reaction of surface water, which contains sulfur, arsenic, etc. This happens naturally in a mining area and the result demonstrates acid mine drainage. It doesn’t look that attractive during the dry season but it might be a bit unpleasant when it keeps raining and you have to hold the umbrella while taking pictures.
The Remains of the Thirteen Levels
As you finish the mountain road down to the sea, you’ll find a spacious parking lot with public toilet, which is right by the famous Bay of Two Colors. Standing next to the raised platform, you’ll be amazed by the majestic horizontal concrete blocks lining up the foothill that approximate the Potala Palace in Tibet.
Established in 1933 during the Japanese era, this copper and gold smelter processed refined ore from the nearby mining sites and was designated as a historic site in 2007 after coming to a full stop in the 1980s. Said to originally have 18 levels, this abandoned smelter has been sort of overgrown and become popular spot for some famous musical videos. Further up the hills are three exhaust pipes made of concrete, which are taller than a human being and crawl up to the mountain ridge in order not to poison the villagers.
Visitor Information
Opening hours
The Gold Museum requires the admission of NT$80 per person although walking in the surrounding area is free. The opening hours is 09:30 to 17:00 during weekdays but it won’t close until 18:00 on weekends. Visiting the mining shaft adjacent to the Museum is also highly recommended and you’ll need a separate ticket, which costs only NT&50 per person.
How to get there?
The Taiwan Intercity Bus 1062 Line, which is operated by the Keelung Bus Company, Ltd., serves Taipei City and the Jiufen area. It operates roughly from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. between central Taipei and major attractions in Jiufen and Jinguashi. The departure point in downtown Taipei is the more convenient MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, which pretty much reaches every corner of the city. Besides, the bus route goes by some TRA train stations along the way, which is easier for travelers to add extra itinerary during the day of visit. If you can travel by train from Taipei to Ruifang, you’ll have more bus services to choose from right by the Ruifang TRA station.
Useful Tips While Visiting
Too hot in summer?
The elevation of the entire mining area is no higher than 400 meters above sea level, so the sea breeze may not of great help on a hot summer day. Luckily, Jiufen is a gourmet paradise and the Gold Museum complex has a FamilyMart convenient store and some air-conditioned restaurants and cafes for you to briefly get away from the humidity.
Feeling hungry?
Jiufen’s old street has a wide range of local delicacies for you to choose from. The hungry souls will definitely be satisfied by all kinds of foods and snacks. If you fancy for a sip of local tea, A-Mei Teahouse is undoubtedly an excellent spot that provides a nostalgic return to the past and an escape from the noisy crowd.
Also recommended is the historical building Weng Shan-ying Former Residence, which was built in 1918 and is now operated under the name Jiufen Teahouse. The interior was not altered too much and the owner of the residence used to be the head of the mining office here.
The Skyline Teahouse (Haiyue House) offers the best view overlooking the scenic coastal area down the mountains. Sitting right by the windows or on the balcony will work up your appetite and great thirst.
Extra information
Starting from April 2024, the award-winning travel agent Edison Tours, which is based in Taipei, will launch a new tour product Jiufen Night Tour from Taipei, which lasts from 13:30 to 21:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is absolutely an ideal option if you want to save time and some energy for more exploration in that old mining area. Visit this website often to keep yourself updated!
