Jinguashi (金瓜石) - Jiufen (九份) - Shuinandong (水湳洞) [Taiwan Day 665: Gold Rush - June 27, 2015]

The “Fast-Track Travel Program” continues in Jinguashi, Shuinandong and Jiufen. These are three places in Taiwan with a golden history. With only a few days before the first batch of Filipino interns goes back home, I need to tour them around in these places in the fastest way possible. 

 I brought along the biggest number of friends Travel Buddies I ever had and Filipinos comprise the bulk of the group. Bryan, Francis, Ciara, Jonalyn, Kristine, Gian and Myrron (my first ever official Travel Buddy) joined the exciting trip in New Taipei City. Beautiful French ladies Clara and Anissa came along while the rest of Southeast Asia was represented by Jason (Indonesian) and Austin (Singaporean). 11 Travel Buddies and 1 Travel King. Who would have thought that I will hold a bag of gold for this travel adventure?

Public buses abound from Ruifang Train Station and one of them is Bus 1062. Jonalyn, Bryan and Kristine sat along the west side of the bus and they were mesmerized when they saw the blue color of the East China Sea. The Gold Ecological Park boasts a number of attractions like a famous Disneyland. Japanese mining companies used to rule the area and with the closing of the mines they leave behind traces of what is life in the area during Taiwan's gold mining period.

There is the 4-tiered Japanese house which serves before as a dormitory of Japanese employees of a mining company. Climb along the stone stairs and have a nice view of Jinguashi. The Jinguashi Shinto Shrine will surprise you at the top. The Japanese used to worship the god of metals in this religious site to get more precious stones. Only its pillars, torii gate and stone lanterns have withstand the test time. Go down to see the Gold Museum which houses one of the largest gold bar in the world. Touch it and feel it. 220 kg of solid gold. Wow!

A gold panning activity DIY for 100 NTD completed the Jinguashi tour. But it was only start of the travel adventure! Water from the golden waterfall flows toward the East China in Shuinandong forming the Yin Yang Sea. The blue sea and the golden water mix in perfect harmony. On top of the hills is the 13-level Shuinandong Smelter. During the Japanese times all the gold-containing stones gathered from mining are brought to this place to extract the precious metals. Shuinandong's rocky seashore provided a playground for my friends which ended in a funny rescue operation for Jonalyn and Ciara. After having in the sea, we took a bus at the Shuinandong bus stop for our next destination, Jiufen.

A long time ago nine families used to live in the area of Jiufen. Resources are shared and divided into nine proportions making the name of the town as Jiufen. Nowadays, the place is teeming with food stalls not to mention to Japanese tourists that invaded area. It was said that Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away was inspired by this town. The large number of Japanese tourist here adds fuel to the rumor that the famous Japanese animation director once visited the place and got ideas by walking along the street full of food. Have you watched Spirited Away? Visit Jiufen and see for yourself.

Watching the sunset was the price of visiting Jiufen and we all had a nice day. Golden experiences in Jinguashi, sea-side stroll in Shuinandong and a food trip in Jiufen. Whoah! It was fast and furious like a real gold rush.

Sakura Series - Taiwan

2026 Forecast

Taipei 101 first flowers

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Taipei Flower Test Center

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Broadwood Park

Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura

Wuling Farm (武陵農場)

SYS kawazu sakura

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

CKS Memorial Hall

Shibafen Yoshino Sakura

Hope River

Dongfang Temple

Tianyuan Palace

Neicou Stream Trail

Orange Garden Cafe

Yangming Park Visitor Information Center

Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop

Huashan Road

Qianshan Park

Zhongshan Hall Entrance

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura

Neihu Creek Trail

Shulin Land Office

Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest

Lung Yen Sakura Forest

Yangming Park cherry stream

Yangming Park fountain

CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura

Wugu District Tianyi Road

CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura

Loving Farm

Yong Long Farm

Zhongbaling Sakura Road

Sun Link Sea

Tai'an Police Station

Cherry Hill Slope

Hsinchu Park

Taipei 101

Kāng Gào Kēng Creek

New Garden City

Broadwood Park

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Alishan Ranger Station

Alishan House

Alishan Police Station

Alishan Forest Railway

Alishan Station

Alishan Entrance

Alishan Gou Hotel

Alishan Magnolia Garden

Wulai tour

Wun Chang Elementary School

Bishanyan

Sanzhi Sansheng Trail

Sakura Series - Taiwan

Nei Cuo Stream

Orange Garden Cafe

Sansheng Trail

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Yangming Park Cherry Stream

Yangming Park Fountain

Flower Test Center

Broadwood Park

New Garden City

Yinghua Park

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Yangmingshan Visitor Center

Taipei 101

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Sakura Series - Japan

Kamonyama Park

Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park

Shinko Park

Minato-mirai 21 area

Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus

Onda River

Tenryuji

Byodoin

Kiyomizudera

Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple

Hōryū-ji Temple

Nara Park attractions

Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus

Sumida River

Tsuruma Park

Gion

Maple Series

Taipei Aowanda

Shimen Dam

Alishan

Aowanda

Shanlinxi

Taoyuan Valley Garden

Fushoushan Farm

Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis

The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)

Always in my heart

MRT birdman

Valentine's Day

Tulips Festival

2018 Taipei Lantern Festival

City of Azaleas

Linji Huguo Temple

Nanjichang Night Market

Gudetama Chef restaurant

Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

Shilin hollyhocks

Ningxia Night Market

Ximending graffiti

Discovery Center of Taipei

Chunghwa Postal Museum

Double-Decker Bus

Shilin Cold Balls

Jingimoo

GomanMango

mud volcanic ice

Fire and Ice Dumpling

Opium Fen-Yuan

Ichiran Ramen

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles

hydrangea flowers

National Palace Museum

Other attractions in Taipei

Taipei on a budget

Japanese buildings

Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles

Presidential Office Building

Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain

CKS and SYS Hall

City tour

Beitou ramen

MRT Monopoly Game

Winter city tour

Zhicheng Park

Shilin Plum Blossom

Art museums

Shopping in Taipei

Summer desserts

Qingtiangang

Qixingshan hiking

2015 Calla lily

2016 Calla lily

Beitou tour

Beitou-Zhuzihu tour

NTU

Confucius Temple

2015 Dadaocheng Festival

Puppet Museum

Fantasy Ice World

2016 Bread Show

Strawberry picking

2015 Rose Garden

Modern Toilet

Shilin Night Market

NASA Exhibit

Raohe Night Market

Longshan Temple

2013 Taipei Zoo

Maokong Gondola

Lupin flowers

Taipei 101 day visit

Taipei 101 night visit

Tiger Mountain

Din Tai Fung

Taipei Story House

2014 Flower Show

Chrysanthemum Show

Miramar Ferris wheel

Miniatures Museum

Archery

1600 Pandas

Wulaoguo hot pot

Upside Down House

2016 101 Fireworks

New Taipei

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking

Meteor Garden school

Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel

Shifen Waterfall

2017 Sand Sculpture

Dragon Caves

New Taipei tour

2016 Kite Festival

Pingxi Crags

Bitou Cape

2016 Sand Sculpture

2015 Christmasland

Juming - Jinshan

Houtong - Pingxi

Sandiaoling Waterfall

Jiufen foodtrip

Guanyinshan hike

Yehliu Ocean World

2014 Kite Festival

Pingxi Rail tour

Jinguashi tour

Vigor Kobo Pineapple

British Consulate

Yehliu Geopark

2014 Sand Sculpture

Paragliding

2014 Christmasland

2014 Pingxi Lantern

firefly watching

Yingge Ceramics Street

Jiufen tour