Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
busy the owners will let you in. Alternatively, go to the visitor centre and ask them to
take you there.
Jinguashi
Gold Ecological Park
HISTORIC SITE
(Huángjīn Bówùyuánqū;
www.gep.ntpc.gov.tw
; 9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat & Sun)
This park, set high above the village in green, quiet hillsides, is a true slice of 1930s
Taiwan, with restored Japanese-era residential and office buildings connected by narrow
walkways bordered by aged brick walls. The remains of the gold-mining industry that
once drove the local economy is also well preserved, including one of the original mine
tunnels.
The
Crown Prince Chalet
(Tàizǐ Bīngguǎn) at the back of the park was built to house
the Japanese royal family on their visit to Taiwan (which alas, never came). It's the best-
preserved Japanese-style wooden residence in Taiwan, though unfortunately you can
only wander the gardens and look inside.
The former working
Beishan Fifth Tunnel
(Běnshān Wǔkēng; admission NT$50)
allows
visitors to go inside and glimpse mining conditions of the old days, while the
Gold
Building
(Huángjīn Bówùguǎn) lets you touch what is reportedly the largest gold bar in
the world. Sitting high on the steep slopes above the park, the ruins of the
Gold Temple
(Huángjīn Shénshè) look like something out of Greek mythology.
It may be interesting to note as you walk around that not all the gold in this area has
been collected. Even today there remains a 250-tonne reserve estimated at more than
NT$200 billion (US$6 billion) lying underground.
Golden Waterfall
WATERFALL
(Huángjīn Pùbù)
The water that forms this unusual fall has a yellow hue from the copper
and iron deposits it picks up as it passes through Jinguashi's old mines. You'll find the
waterfall down from the Gold Ecological Park as you head towards the sea (which is also
a yellowish colour from the river water).
Remains of the 13 Levels
HISTORIC SITE
Just across from the Golden Waterfall, on a sea-facing bluff, are the remains of a massive
copper-smelting refinery
(Shísān-céng) whose 13 levels descend towards the sea in rap-
id progression. The refinery inspires such a heavy, dystopian industrial awe that it has
been used as a background for music videos.
