The stratum of this area stretches generally from northeast to southwest, giving rise to a terrain consisting of faults, syncline, and anticline structures, all of which indicate that the region had experienced intense crustal movements. 

Dacite in this area is exposed and its stratum is rich in gold and copper ores. The diversity of mineral ores and mineralization and the multivariate distribution of mineral veins have created a unique geological landscape, which provides a natural geological classroom for the study of earth sciences.

The Jinguashi ore body lies mainly in the core of Miocene sedimentary rocks, and part of the ore body is made up of igneous rock mass. The layer of sedimentary rock was accumulated as part of the seabed 10 to25 million years ago. About 8 to10 million years ago, collision and extrusion between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate caused various degrees of crustal movement, leading to the formation of such terrain as folds and faults and the continued slow rise of land about 2 million years ago.

In the Pleistocene epoch between 1.7 million and 900,000 years ago, magma activities in the area had formed several igneous intrusive bodies and ejected rock masses.

Intrusive bodies include the Keelung Mountain, the Mudan Mountain, and Jinguashi, while the Grassy Hill and Jimuling are ejected rock masses. After the Pleistocene epoch, frequent fault activities continued to occur in the area. “Hydrothermal mineralization” in the late stage of magma activity is liquid gushed from incandescent underground areas through gaps in faults and fracture zones to the surface, forming the main goldmine body in the area.  

Terrains of the Jinguashi mine and its buffer zone are mostly hills ranging from 100 to 500 meters above sea level, with the 587 meter-high Keelung Mountain being the highest. The Teapot Mountain, Grassy Hill, and Mount Banping around the Jinguashi settlement are other topographic characteristic features in the area.

The mining settlement is not particularly steep at 200 to325 meters above sea level, but its terrain is steeper because of its location in a hilly landscape and the steep drop faults of the stream valley.

According to preliminary field analysis, the distribution of animals in the Jinguashi settlement differs from those in its buffer zone because of different terrain and vegetation. Among the animals found in the area, birds have the most intriguing distribution patterns.

A survey by the Chinese Wild Bird Federation showed that the bird species that have appeared in the area include:

1. Birds of prey: black kite (Milvus migrans), crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela), crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus), besra (Accipiter virgatus), common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), crested honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus), black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis), and Chinese sparrowhawk (Accipiter soloensis).

2. Forest birds: Taiwan blue magpie (Urocissa caerulea), grey treepie (Dendrocitta formosae), Taiwan barbet (Psilopogon nuchalis), Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus), rufous-capped babbler (Stachyridopsis ruficeps), streak-breasted scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus ruficollis), rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus erythrogenys), scaly-breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata), and dusky fulvetta (Schoeniparus brunneus).
3. Ravine stream birds: little egret (Egretta garzetta), cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), kingfisher (Alcedinidae), grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), and white wagtail (Motacilla alba).

4. Other birds: light-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis), little swift (Apus affinis), Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica), pale thrush (Turdus pallidus), and black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus).

It is worth mentioning that the area is a major breeding ground and habitat for black kites.

Common reptiles in the area include the Shanghai elegant skink (Plestiodon elegans), brown spotted pit viper (Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus), Chinese water snake (Enhydris chinensis), Chinese green tree viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri), checkered keelback (Xenochrophis piscator), big-eyed ratsnake (Ptyas dhumnades), and many-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus multicinctus).

There are also such stream fishes as the pale chub (Zacco platypus), Taiwan chub (Opsariichthys pachycephalus), grouper (Epinephelinae), goldfish (Carassius auratus), Taiwan shovel-jaw carp (Onychostoma barbatulum), pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), and giant mottled eel (Anguilla marmorata). 

Common amphibians include the Taipa frog (Rana longicrus), rana sauteri (Pseudoamolops sauteri), olive frog (Babina adenopleura), and bankor toad (Bufo bankorensis).

There are also such insects as the white-spotted flower chafer beetle (Potosia aerata sumarmorea), hawk moth (Sphingidae), swallowtail butterfly (Papilionidae), atlas moth (Attacus atlas), and imported cabbage worm (Artogeia rapae crucivora).

The distribution of vegetation in this area is affected by the northeast monsoon, mining activities, and soil quality. The water fern (Histiopteris incisa) and Old World forked fern (Dicranopteris linearis) are the main plants at Shuinandong and the windward side of Jinguashi, because of strong monsoons and copper extraction that had led to soil contamination by large amounts of heavy metals.

In addition, the Pacific Island silvergrass (Miscanthus floridulus) has become a distinctive vegetation in this area because the sunny slopes of Jinguashi are prone to wildfire.

The area is categorized as monsoon shrubland and steppe, and besides the aforementioned Pacific Island Silvergrass and Old World forked fern, there are also shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet), palm grass (Setaria palmifolia), and Pilose beggarticks (Bidens).

Native tree species include pine (Pinus)common machilus (Machilus thunbergii), common eurya (Eurya chinensis), incense nanmu(Machilus zuihoensis Hayata), tung oil tree (Vernicia fordii), parasol leaf tree (Macaranga tanarius), Japanese Mallotus (Mallotus japonicus), brush pot tree (Cyathea lepifera), Formosan alder (Alnus formosana), green maple (Acer serrulatum Hayata), and wild coffee (Psychotria).

Moreover, the Chinese Bretschneidera (Bretschneidera sinensis) that grow on rocks around the mountains and land slide areas provide an important ecosystem for research.

 
2-1: Old Gold Mine Sites:

1. Open pits: Benshan open pit, Shumei open pit.
2. Gold-mining tunnels: The underground mining area is divided into five pits -- Benshan No. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, which are interconnected by shafts. Today, only pit No. 5 is still intact and the New Taipei City Government has plans to incorporate it with the Gold Museum; all the other pits are severely damaged.
3. Changren incline railway, Wuji ropeway, incline railway: These three were the main transport lines connecting various pits in Jinguashi and Shuinandong and servingas the traffic artery of Jinguashi at the time.
4. Shuinandong gold smelting plant, Liyue copper smelting plant: Most mining facilities from the Japanese colonial era, including ore-dressing and ore-washing facilities, have since been dismantled, but there remains several abandoned gold-smelting plants and exhaust flues from a copper-smelting plant built by the Japanese authorities.

2-2: Old Buildings: 

1. Jinguashi Crown Prince Chalet: The chalet was built by the Nippon Mining Holdings in 1922 during the period of Japanese rule as the intended residence of Crown Prince Hirohito when he came to Taiwan for inspections.
2. Japanese-style houses:  Japanese-style houses were built as Japanese senior staff quarters. The spatial layout of Japanese buildings, Crown Prince Chalet, and Gold Temple (Ogon Shrine) reflects the strict social class division among  deities, royal family members, and civil society.
3. Old shopping street: Being constructed with stairs in accordance with the terrain, the  street was very unique and became a prosperous area with flourishing commercial activities during the heyday of the mining industry.

2-3: Temples:

1. Gold Temple (Ogon Shrine): The temple was built in 1933 at Jinguashi by the Nippon Mining Holdings after it took over the mining site to worship the “Kami spirits of metallurgy” from the Kanayama Shrine in Japan. The temple was not maintained after 1945 and was eventually destroyed, leaving behind only partial stone pillars and stone lamps.
2. Cyuanjitang (Golden Guangong Temple): It was originally a cottage temple for worshipping Guangong that cracked when the copper smelter beside it was reconstructed during the period of Japanese rule. It was rebuilt in 1931 and has since become an important center of spiritual worship in Jinguashi.
    

Jinguashi is comparable to Las Médulas of Spain, which was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997.The latter was a gold mining site used by the Roman Empire in northwest Spain during the first century. After two centuries of mining gold by using the hydraulic mining method, the Romans abandoned the mining site, leaving behind a devastated landscape in  a region that has not seen any industrial activity since. It is noteworthy that the historical remnants of ancient Roman mining technology – including a steep, mountainside-like appearance and a vast area full of cinders – are now utilized as farmland.
The story of the formation of Jinguashi began in the summer of 1890, when the construction of the Badu Bridge was initiated by Taiwan Governor Liu Ming-chuan. The construction workers accidentally discovered gold particles in the Keelung River, triggering a gold rush as a result.

After Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895, Japanese authorities modernized the mining process in Jinguashi by using aerial cable cars to transport mineral ores from the Benshan mining deposit to be smelted at Shuinandong, transforming Jinguashi and Shuinanong into mining and ore-dressing settlements. 

In 1950, the Japanese discovered rich enargite bodies in the same area and established a copper-smelting plant in Shuinandong to process copper mined from the Changren mining deposit.

Gold- and copper-mining industries continued to thrive after the retrocession of Taiwan in 1945, playing an important role in the development of Taiwan’s economy at that time.

In 1987, the Taiwan Metal & Mining Corporation stopped its operations, which put an end to the glorious mining history of Jinguashi. At the present, there are many mining artifacts in the area, including human settlements, pits, tunnels, cable car railways, cableways, and smelting facilities, and these important landscapes are the key elements that will make Jinguashi prosperous again in the future.

Jinguashi is an industrial settlement that rose and fell because of gold. Over a century of mining had left many remanants in the settlement surrounded by mining sites, forming a spectacular mining landscape that serves as a natural museum of mining development that recorded the history of Taiwan’s mining industry.

The area has a complete history of gold mining, which is comparable to other mining towns in the world. Not only are buildings, tunnels, pits, mining appliances, and tools from that period of mining still preserved, the site also reflects the development of mining by Taiwan’s ancestors. The natural landscapes, cultural assets, and settlement memories are scattered throughout Jinguashi.  

In 1890, when Taiwan Governor Liu Ming-chuan led workers in constructing the railway between Taipei and Keelung, the workers building an iron bridge at Qidu discovered gold particles in the river, which was the first explicit evidence that there was gold in the Jinguashi area. Afterwards, gold mining flourished in the area and the Qing imperial court established an administration office to manage gold mining affairs.

In 1895, the Qing imperial court was forced to cede Taiwan and Penghu to Japan after losing the First Sino-Japanese War. In September of the same year, Japan, following the example of the Qing Dynasty, set up an office in Ruifang to officially take over the mountainous gold town.

In 1896, Japanese merchant Chobei Tanaka obtained the mining rights to the Jinguashi mine.He first dug the Benshan pit No. 1 in an area of 560.5 meters above sea level and then gradually mined downward.

The First Refinery was established in 1900 near pit No. 5, with more plants being built in succession. Only gold was produced at Jinguashi at the first stage, but the area became a mining site for both gold and copper following the discovery of enargite. When more and more ores  were discovered in the Changren area, gold production grew quickly and reached 27,794 taels a year. Copper production also hit a record of 1,875 tons in 1914.

Shortly after the retrocession of Taiwan in 1945, the Jinguashi mine was taken over and operated by the Mining Bureau of Gold and Copper, which was restructured as the Taiwan Metal & Mining Corporation in 1955.

In 1978, large-scale open-pit mining began in the Shumei area and the vicinity of Changren No. 3 ore body. Close to a decade later, all mines were closed after the corporation ceased its operations in 1987.

Criterion II

The Shuei-Jin-Jiou Mining Sites have well preserved the appearance of local industrial heritage and rich historical and cultural relics, which have attracted the interest of scholars in the fields of economy, history, geography, and botany. Cultural resources of the area – settlement landscape, historical space, and folk customs and festivals (including Crown Prince Chalet, Japanese-style buildings, Ogon Shrine, and Cyuanjitang); natural landscapes – terrain resources and water resources; mining landscapes  mining areas, pits, transport lines, and smelting facilities all meet the second selection criterion for World Heritage Sites, because all these cultural assets have vividly recorded the development of Taiwan’s mining industry.

Criterion X

In recent years, the lifestyle in the settlements has been gradually destroyed following the end of mining operations. For example, some Japanese-style dormitories for senior staff members are partially derelict because of disrepair; the appearance of Western-style buildings following the reconstruction of miner settlements has altered the landscape; and the old cableways and railways that used to be the transport lines of Jinguashi settlements are difficult to restore after their dismantlement following the termination of mining operations. In face of rapid social and economic development, Jinguashi settlements are in a state of vulnerability, which meets the fifth selection criterion for World Heritage Sites.

In terms of administrative districts, the Jinguashi area belongs to Ruifang District of New Taipei City. Although it has no official title in its administrative district, it is commonly accepted  that Jinguashi is called the “hometown of gold” together with Jiufen. The origin of its name can be traced back to 1933 when the area was formally named Jinguashi by the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan.

But among local residents, the name of Jinguashi appeared earlier and its origin was more natural and appropriate. It is said that in 1894 (some said it was in 1897), an open-pit gold mine shaped like a pumpkin was discovered in the great Jingua area, so local residents gave it the name Jinguashi (“pumpkin rock”).    

In fact, the development of Jinguashi is closely related to Jiufen and the two are just like twins. Even their names are quite interesting. For instance, there is no creek named Jiufen Creek in Jiufen nowadays, but the Inner Jiufen Creek and the Outer Jiufen Creek flow through the Jinguashi area. Moreover, historical data collected from land administration records show that the Jinguashi area was called “Jiufen Section” during the period of Japanese colonial rule while the Jiufen area was originally called “Gengzailiao Section.” It suggests that today’s Jinguashi might be the original Jiufen area, or the name of Jiufen has actually covered the current Jinguashi area.

Irregardless of details, records reflect that Jinguashi and Jiufen have an inseparable historical origin, and this is the basic knowledge requiredfor those who wish to explore the historical origins of Jinguashi.

The history of this area’s development could be traced back to around 1845, when scattered farmlands and tea plantations were established at the intersection of the Jiufen Creek and the Jinguashi Creek and along the Daganlin Creek. According to legend, those people who developed ed the Jinguashi area in 1888were those who built five cottages at Shiwei,which is known as Wuhaoliao today.

Two years later, when Taiwan Governor Liu Ming-chuan led workers in building an iron bridge (today’s Dahua Bridge) at Qidu  for a railway that would connect Taipei and Keelung, the workers discovered gold particles in the river, which was the first explicit evidence that Jinguashi contained gold (Source: “The General History of Taiwan” by Lian Heng).

And in 1893, adventurers searching for the source of the gold particles discovered a gold mine that became known as “Small Jingua Outcrop” in Jiufen. In the following year (some said it was in 1897), a rock peak behind Jinguashi settlement was discovered to be an open-pit gold mine, which was called “Big Jingua Outcrop” because it was shaped like a pumpkin.

It has always been difficult for people to resist the charm of gold, and those who dreamed of finding a gold mine rushed to the area and built cottages at Shiwei, Shumeiping, Maofeng, and along the Inner Jiufen Creek for open-pit gold mining.

The Big Jingua Outcrop was originally 660 meters above sea level, but was lowered by 106 meters due to massive excavating and digging. Now the Big Jingua Outcrop can no longer be seen and exists only in the memories of the older generation. For young generations, they can only listen to stories about the outcrop, which marked the actual beginning of industrial gold mining in Jinguashi.

In the early Qing Dynasty, gold mining had flourished in the Jinguashi area since the discovery of gold mines, and the imperial court established an office to manage the operations. In 1895, the Qing imperial court was forced to cede Taiwan and Penghu to Japan according to the Treaty of Shimonoseki signed on April 14 after losing the First Sino-Japanese War. In September that year, Japan set up an office following the example of the Qing Dynasty at Ruifang to take over the mountainous gold town. Thus, the development of Jinguashi entered a new era.

At the beginning of the takeover, some anti-Japanese patriots entered and hid secretly in the Jingjiou mining area, using it as an anti-Japanese base. To better control the area and manage mining operations, the Japanese authorities divided the Keelung Mountain into two mining areas in 1896. The east side was Jinguashi mine and the west side Ruifang mine, which are today’s Jinguashi and Jiufen.

The Tanaka team led by Japanese national Chobei Tanaka obtained the mining rights  to Jinguashi on Oct. 20, 1896, and the Fujita team led by Denzaburo Fujita was authorized to conduct mining on the Ruifang mine on Oct. 8 the same year. Jinguashi and Jiufen had since gone through very different developments. 

The Jinguashi mining area was still managed by the official system despite of the change of supervising authorities. The Tanaka team, Nippon Mining Holdings, Taiwan Gold &Copper Mining ACLM, and Taiwan Gold & Metal Mining Corporation all established basic infrastructure andwelfare systems, and provided good care and fixed salaries for their employees to manage the mining industry.

Workers there were given stable income and sufficient supplies, and thus public facilities, mining equipment, and factories in Jinguashi were very advanced.

On the other hand, the Ruifang mining site ran by the Fujita Team was under relatively poor management due to Fujita’s lack of understanding of workers’ and local culture. It had to rely on the assistance of local residents and Fujita gradually began to lease mining rights to the public, transforming its business model into selling exclusive management rights. As a result, private mining businesses started to develop in the Jiufen area.

Following the Fujita Team, there were Taiwanese tycoon Yen Yun-nien, the Su Family Clan, and Taiyang Mining Company, which all ran vibrant private mining businesses. The difference in operation styles led Jiufen and Jinguashi to develop differently in terms of economic development and local lifestyle. 

The region’s mining history can be divided into three periods — the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), the period starting with the retrocession of Taiwan and ending with the suspension of mining (1945-1987), and the post-mining era (1987- current). Each period had  a distinct impact on the area of Jinguashi. 

During the Japanese colonial era, the Japanese authorities focused on exploiting local resources, which were mostly mineral ores. To meet the goal of mass production, they characteristically paid attention to details and established a complete infrastructure at Jinguashi, including mining equipment, transfer of skills, systems and division of labor, and workforce management.

Looking back today, some say that Japanese contributions to Taiwan, such as physical infrastructure and transfer of knowledge and culture, redeem their exploitation of Taiwan’s resources in some ways.

After the retrocession, the Nationalist government followed the previous model to manage mining sites on the same scale. However, after taking into account the battle against the Communist forces, international affairs, and the decreasing ore supplies, the Nationalist government separated gold mining and copper smelting operations, in which the business of copper smelting gradually outgrow that of gold mining.  

The Mining Bureau of Gold and Copper was established in 1948 and it was restructured as the Taiwan Gold & Metal Mining Corporation in 1955. In 1972 and 1977, Liendong Copper Smelter and Liyue Copper Smelting Plant were respectively established. These changes reflect the development of gold mining and copper smelting business in Taiwan.

Since mining operations ended in Jinguashi in 1987, the development of the area has experienced a series of uncertainties, including population outflow and a change of lifestyle and structure. The golden age is long gone and as the “hometown of gold,” Jinguashi no longer thrives.

Nevertheless, with the prevalence of education and emergence of refined cultural demand, Jinguashi’s rich resources have drawn public attention again. Local cultural experts, artists, and scholars have paid more attention to the area’s history and conducted researches and studies following the premiere of “A City of Sadness” by noted filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien at the Zhongshan Hall in Jinguashi.

Since the release of the 1992 film “Hill of No Return” directed by Wang Toon and the 1994 film “A Borrowed Life” directed by Wu Nien-jen, more and more public organizations and community empowerment groups have created new possibilities for Jinguashi, allowing the historical town to continue forging a future for itself.