Gold Museum, New Taipei Government, New Taipei, Taiwan

5jameshuang 5:00 PM Oct 23, 2016

220 kg 999.9 Pure Gold Brick is Yours If You Can Lift It
Gold Museum (黃金博物館) is a museum of the gold mining industry located in the hill town of Jinguashi in Ruifang District, New Taipei City. Jinguashi was notable for its historic gold and copper mines. In the Japanese occupation era (from 1895 to1945), Jinguashi’s gold output was astonishing. During its golden era, it was the site of a gold rush in northern Taiwan. According to recent studies, it may still contain as much as 250 metric tons (8,818,490 oz) of gold. Gold Museum contains a large area, and there are many tourist attractions in addition to the main attraction of the Gold Building (黃金館). We went directly to the Tourist Information Center after we parked our car and purchased the ticket. We got the brochure at the Tourist Information Center. We did not visit all the attractions this visit although we have visited 3 times before. The main attraction is the Gold Building area. Near the Gold Building, you can find Benshan No. 5 Tunnel (本山五坑), Outdoor Air Compressor (戶外壓縮機) and the gift shop. The Gold Building is a museum of local gold mining history of Jinguashi (金瓜石). This building is modernized from former Taiwan Metal Mining Corp. The first floor has a gold discovery process, a model of the Benshan tunnels, mining transport system, mining equipments and related remainders in Jinguashi. The second floor is the character and applications of gold with numbers of gold craftworks. The most popular spot is the big 220kg 999.9 pure gold brick for you to see and touch. Any two people (one on each side) can own it if you can lift it. Benshan No. 5 Tunnel lets you have a chance to learn about the old time gold mining process in the tunnel. It was quite an unusual experience. If you only spend few hours here, Jinguashi Crown Prince Chalet (金瓜石太子賓館) is another spot you should visit. This 1922 AD wooden house is one of the well preserved Japanese buildings in Taiwan. It was built by Takana Mining Co. to host the Crown Prince Hirohito (later Japanese Emperor Showa) during a planned visit to inspect the mining industry in Jinguashi area. Inside the property, you can also find a lovely Japanese garden, a miniature golf course and an archery field. If you want to learn further of Jinguashi's geology, environment, climate, plants and the characteristics, you should visit the Environment Building. They also provide the free guide tour 3 to 4 times a day. You can check at Tourist Information Center for details. I believe you need to reserve one day in the Gold Museum if you want to see them all. Don’t forget the nearby attractions of Jiufen Old Street, where the mountain and sea scenery here is outstanding. General Admission is NTD 80, and the opening hours is weekday (Monday to Friday): 9:30 AM to 5 PM; Weekend (Saturday, Sunday and Nation Holiday): 9:30 AM to 6 PM.

3Kenneth Tan 5:00 PM Oct 13, 2019

Wortth going if you are at Jiufen
If you are already at Jiufen Old Street, you can swing by to experience mining and also to see a gigantic gold bar being displayed. Tickets are required too. There's a popular Bento which you can try too.