Jinguashi township

Jinguashi - We took the bus from Jiufen town to Jinguashi township.    This town was once a gold mining town but the resouces are now depleted.  Tourist still comes to this town and visit the Gold Ecological Park. The park is free to visitors and open during weekdays 9:30am to 5pm.

1st stop was the Tourism Information Center.   This is in the park's first main building.  It was originally a Taiwan Motor co. bus station.  It provides tourist information and leaflets.

2nd stop:  Four joined Japanese-Style Residences.  This is one of the few remaining Japanese building of this type in Taiwan (during the colonial era it was a domintory for high level Japanese company employees.)  The existing space has been turned into display and living art experience.   We had to queue as only a small number of people are able to enter at anyone time.  Once in, we are ushered to a room to watched a brief documentary of this bulding. 

Gold....

Abundant of grass

made into a peacock



The legend of the "Gold Carrying Beast"





Next stop:  Jinguashi Crown Prince Chalet.  It is built in 1922 and is one of the finest surviving wooden Japanese buildings in Taiwan.  It was built by the Tanaka Mining Co. to host the Crown Prince (later Emperor Hirohito) during a planned visit to inspect the mining industry in the Jinguashi area.  

Garden in the Crown Prince Chalet

View from the back of the Chalet

Walking out of the Chalet we came across a number of Gold mining carts...

Next Stop:  Benshan Fifth Tunnel.  We have to pay NT50 per person to enter the mining shaft. It involves walking through wet and slippery tunnel to discover the mystery of past gold mining. 



Our next stop: An old Jinguashi Shinto Shrine.   It was way up a hill and it was an arduous climb up.
The view uphill was worth the effort.

Ruins of the Shinto Shrine