The Remains of the 13 Levels () is a former
smelter plant in Lianxin Village,
Ruifang District,
New Taipei,
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 ...
. It is also called the Potala Palace of Mountain Mines.
History
Originally built in 1933 by Japanese during their occupation,
the building used to be a
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 ...
and
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 met ...
smelter plant called the Shuinandong Smelter that used to process refined ore from
Jinguashi
Jinguashi (Chinkuashih; ) is a town in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, notable for its historic gold and copper mines. It was also known as Kinkaseki in Japanese and was under Taihoku Prefecture during Japanese rule.
From 1942 to ...
and
Jiufen.
After the
handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China
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 northeast ...
in 1945, the refinery was taken over by the state-run company. In 1973, the copper and gold minerals from the area had been exhausted and subsequently the activity and company were shut down.
During World War II between 1942 and 1945, the Japanese Empire sent approximately one thousand prisoners of war (POWs) to the gold mines surrounding the smelting plant. The POWs were from allied nations, including the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.
The
Taiwan POW Memorial Park now stands in memory of the POWs that died in the harsh mining conditions.
The site and the surrounding mining infrastructure are listed as potential world heritage sites.
Architecture
The building has three long exhausts pipes running up the hillside, which released toxic exhaust gasses when it had been in operation. At a length of 2 km and a diameter of 2 meters, it is the world's longest pipe.
Popular culture
The building has been featured in several
music videos.
The building was illuminated for the 2019 Moon Festival as a collaboration between the current owner, Taiwan Power Company, and two artists Chou Lien (周鍊) and Joyce Ho (何采柔).
See also
*
Mining in Taiwan
Mining has been practiced in Taiwan for hundreds of years. Sulfur was an early important resource collected on the island. Coal mining expanded in the 19th century to keep up with demand from increased foreign trade. Heavy industry was further exp ...
References
{{commons category, 13 Levels, Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park
Buildings and structures in New Taipei
Industrial buildings in Taiwan
Mining in Taiwan
Tourist attractions in New Taipei