New Taipei Travel: Golden Waterfall of Jinguashi Mining Area

Travel Date: 2018/11/10

Today's weather isn't good, it has been rainy since the morning. I hope this doesn't ruin our trip. I have chosen six places to visit: Golden Waterfall, Remains of 13 Levels, Yin Yang Sea, Elephant Trunk Rock, Helping Island Park, and the Fairy Cave and Buddha's Hand Cave.

It's our second time visiting Golden Waterfall and Remains of 13 Levels. This time, we are not traveling alone; a nice guy from Slovakia has joined us. I don't often have the chance to meet other foreigners, so it's pretty nice. I hope this trip is really interesting for him.

Golden Waterfall (黃金瀑布)

The special golden color of the water can be seen at Golden Waterfall. Due to the rich rainfall, minerals are washed out of the stones, causing the water to appear yellow as it falls into the river and eventually into the sea. The color of the waterfall is not the result of mining, but rather it has existed long before the mining period. The color is natural and caused by heavy metals in the ground. The water has a beautiful golden color when illuminated by sunlight, but it is toxic and touching it is not recommended. Golden Waterfall is not very big, but it is a truly beautiful place to visit. Going near the water or taking soil from the area is not allowed.

Yin Yang Sea (陰陽海)

From this place, you can also take a look at Yin Yang Sea. Located on the Northern Coast, Yin Yang Sea is definitely a unique landscape. The name comes from the contrast between the yellowish-brown water and the natural blue color of the sea. Initially, people thought the yellow color of the water was due to pollution from the Taijin Company. However, this copper company stopped operations a few years ago, yet the sea still maintains its distinct colors. The mysterious color of the sea has been explained through geological studies.

Yin Yang Sea is formed naturally due to the high concentration of minerals. The Jinguashi area, rich in iron, copper, and pyrite deposits, results in underground water taking on the color of these minerals. When a large amount of water is discharged into the sea, the yellowish-brown color becomes visible on the surface, although it does not persist at great depths.

Remains of the Thirteen Levels (十三層遺址) 

Near this area, you can also see the Remains of the Thirteen Levels, also known as the Shuinandong Smelter (水湳洞精煉廠). It is a Japanese-era copper smelting refinery that is now one of the abandoned places in Taiwan.

The Shuinandong Smelter was built in 1933 and operated by war prisoners during the Japanese occupation. It was the largest smelter in Asia at that time.

The area was rich in gold and copper, but the output began to decline in the 1970s, leading to the abandonment of the site.

The smelter's construction is built on a hillside and actually has 18 levels. Additionally, it has one of the world's longest concrete pipeline ventilation systems, measuring over 1000 meters in length.

You can read more about this place in my another blog post.

See also: Remains of Thirteen Levels

Address:

1. Golden Waterfall: 224新北市瑞芳區金水公路黃金瀑布
2. Yin and Yang Sea: 224新北市瑞芳區濓新里陰陽海
3. Remains of Thirteen Levels: 224新北市瑞芳區水湳洞選煉廠遺址

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Taipei Travel: Jiufen ~ Discovering the Charms of Taiwan's Historic Mining Town

Picture source: https://goo.gl/images/5TLYKd

We drove the scooter for a long time today, and it's almost getting dark. Before heading back home, my husband took me to Jiufen, which is one of the most popular places near Taipei.

I had never seen an old street before, but these kinds of places seem very crowded. Sometimes it was difficult to pass by and go to another place on these very narrow streets. I particularly liked the view of the many lanterns hanging up along the streets.

Jiufen village used to be the center of gold mining, with operations starting in 1892. During the Japanese era, Jiufen, Jinguashi, and Wudankeng were the three most important "golden mountains." In 1903-1904, the amount of gold produced in these three areas was comparable to the amount produced in Japan. Jiufen was under the management of Taiyang Mining during the Japanese occupation until the end of the war. Gold mining resumed in 1945 but started to decline after 1957. After gold mining officially ended in 1971, many miners shifted their focus to coal mining.

The name "Jiufen" means "nine portions." Legend has it that nine families lived in this village. Whenever one family went shopping, they would divide what they bought and share it among the nine families since the shops were far away.

Jiufen Old Street (九份老街)

Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) is the most popular street in Jiufen. It used to be called the "dark street" in the past because it was a gathering place for people at night. One of the oldest shops here is a tea house with over 100 years of historical architecture. Another street in the area, called Chigasaki Road, has over 300 stone steps and is lined with many tea houses. On this road, you will also see the Shengping Theatre building, which was the first cinema in Taiwan.

Jiufen Old Street is really small and extremely crowded. You can find a wide variety of food and souvenir shops here, and enjoy the nice view. The streets form a small maze with plenty of shops, and there are many tiny alleys connecting the main roads.

Around the streets, you can see many lanterns, which look the best after dark. The village is located on hills, allowing you to enjoy views of the mountains and the sea. Unfortunately, it's getting dark soon, and since we arrived here by scooter, we have to head home before all those lanterns light up the darkness.

See also: Jinguashi Mining Area

See also: History of Pingxi

 

Address: 

224新北市瑞芳區基山街九份老街

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