Gold Museum (Jinguashi)

Open-air mining museum in the former gold refinery complex, with underground tunnels and Pacific views

The Gold Museum occupies the former Jinguashi gold refinery complex, about 1.5 kilometres from Jiufen town centre. The site operated from the late 19th century through 1971 and is now a well-preserved open-air industrial museum. The main buildings — the administration offices, the crown prince chalet, the smelting hall — are intact and open to visitors. A tunnel section can be walked through; a separate fee allows extended underground access into the main mining tunnels.

The context is historical and human: the photographs of the workers, the reconstructed dormitories, and the POW memorial make the Gold Museum more affecting than a typical heritage industrial site. The views from the hillside above the complex extend over Jiufen's red rooftops to the coast and, on clear days, to the offshore islands. The museum is reached by a 20-minute walk from Jiufen old street or by local bus.

things to do museum
A story
During the Second World War, the Jinguashi complex was used as a prisoner-of-war camp for Allied soldiers captured in Southeast Asia — primarily British, Australian, and Dutch. Prisoners were forced to work in the mines under brutal conditions; hundreds died. A small memorial to the POWs stands in the museum complex, and the Crown Prince Chalet — built for a visit by the Japanese Emperor's nephew that never happened — still stands on the hillside above.