Jinguashi (Chinkuashih; ) is a town in

Ruifang District Ruifang District () is a suburban district in eastern New Taipei City, Taiwan. History During Japanese rule, Ruifang was called , and was administered as part of of Taihoku Prefecture. Mining was an important industry in Ruifang (then kno ...

New Taipei City New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, b ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, notable for its historic

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

and

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

mines. It was also known as Kinkaseki in

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

and was under

Taihoku Prefecture Taihoku Prefecture (台北州; ''Taihoku-shū'') was an administrative division of Taiwan created in 1920, during Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Yilan County. Its government office, ...

during Japanese rule. From 1942 to 1945, the town was the location of the Kinkaseki Prisoner of War (POW) Camp (Chinese: 金瓜石戰俘營; Japanese: 金瓜石／きんかせき捕虜監視所). Of the 430 Allied POW deaths across all fourteen Japanese POW camps on Taiwan, the majority occurred at Kinkaseki.

Under Japanese rule

Kinkaseki was an important mining town for the Japanese Empire during Japan's rule over Taiwan. United States Navy analysis during World War II found that the Kinkaseki gold mines were among Imperial Japan's largest sources of gold, based on figures from 1937. The mines also produced substantial amounts of copper—7,350 tons in 1936, more than anywhere else in Taiwan—and some silver. The mines were operated by Taiwan Kōgyō K.K. (Taiwan Mining Company, 台湾鉱業株式会社) and covered approximately 5.5 million ''tsubo'' (18.18 km²). Forced laborers also cleared agricultural land and improved water work;

beriberi Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, ...

was rampant among the prisoners. The Kinkaseki prisoner of war camp (Kinkaseki #1) was opened on November 14, 1942. The initial POWs arrived from Singapore after its capture by Japan. Over 1,100 Allied (mostly British) POWs were held in the camp and forced to work in the mines. The camp mines were closed in March 1945, as transport of copper to the Japanese home islands become impossible due to Allied naval power. The POWs were relocated to Kukutsu POW Camp in Hsintien (

Xindian District Xindian District () is an inner city district in the southern part of New Taipei City, Taiwan. Name Xindian's name originated during the Qing Dynasty close to 300 years ago. According to legend, a person named Lin and others came from Quanzhou ...

) by late June 1945.

Post-war

Following the Allied defeat of Imperial Japan, charges were brought against nine employees of Nippon Mining Company (the parent company of Taiwan Kōgyō) for cruelty and mistreatment of POWs at Kinkaseki. On May 28, 1947, eight of the nine were found guilty by the British War Crime Court Number Five in Hong Kong. The court held the company, not the Japanese Army, responsible for mistreatment of POWs. A memorial park at the site of the POW camp was opened in 1997. Although the minerals have since been depleted, the town still attracts many visitors to its Gold Ecological Park, which opened in October 2004. Jinguashi was named a potential

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 2002. Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine FRD 8738.jpg, Historic gold mine museum Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine Outdoor Cafe FRD 7494.jpg, Outdoor cafe by museum entrance Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine Abadoned Railway Tracks FRD 8753.jpg, Abandoned railway tracks Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine Moss Covered Retaining Wall FRD 8940.jpg, High humidity and the result Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine Valley View Left Page FRD 8822 Giant Statue of GuanYu.jpg, Giant statue Image:Taiwan 2009 JinGuaShi Historic Gold Mine Valley View Right Page FRD 8840.jpg, Valley

References

External links

*
Jinguashi's Gold Ecological Park
{{coord, 25, 07, N, 121, 51, E, display=title, region:TW_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Tourist attractions in New Taipei Geography of New Taipei Former gold mines

Under Japanese rule

Post-war

See also

References

External links