Houtong Coal Mine Cultural Museum Introduction
The Houtong Coal Mine Cultural and Historical Museum was established on August 10, 2019. It is located next to the entrance of the Ruifeng Mine, which was once the largest coal mine company in Taiwan, the "Ruifeng Mining Co., Ltd." A group of last-generation miners spontaneously gathered various cultural and historical materials and mining tools from the Japanese colonial period, post-war era, and modern times to be used as exhibits. Although these miners did not receive professional training for guiding, they utilized their work experience and memories to create their own cultural walking paths in the Houtong area. Upholding the spirit of "telling our own stories to let all of Taiwan and the world know," they uniquely narrate the lives, skills, and historical stories of the miners, making each tour a recount of every miner's life story, which deeply moves the visitors. The Houtong Coal Mine Cultural and Historical Museum was not only established as a contribution to the pension of the last-generation miners but is also the first cultural and historical exhibition hall in Taiwan that was planned and built by old miners with their worn hands. Houtong is not just about cats; there are also important local cultural assets and historical heritage that need to be preserved. The museum displays old photographs from those years, guided by former miners, leading visitors into the dark world of miners, revealing how Taiwanese miners carved out an economic miracle with their lives during a time of energy scarcity. This group of elderly miners, gradually overlooked by the state and forgotten by society, built the "Houtong Coal Mine Cultural and Historical Museum" to change the public impression of Houtong as a "Cat Village." Economic benefits are undoubtedly important, but local natural resources and cultural heritage must not be belittled or neglected. The museum is mainly divided into three small exhibition halls. The glass house on the first floor displays many old photos related to mining and various tools used by miners in the past. Each picture captures the tenacious spirit of miners working in the tunnels, and each tool bears the weight of their difficult lives. A 1:1 scale output of the actual mining scene at the bottom of the wall creates an illusion of entering the tunnels. The second floor of the glass house showcases the necessary gear for miners and various equipment and instruments used to measure tunnel conditions. Passing through a corridor featuring three sections of tunnels leads to the exhibition hall for cultural and historical materials, where hand-drawn maps and photos from Mr. Yamamoto Sokei and Mr. Zhou Zhaonan, spanning centuries, are displayed. This is a precious crossing of time and space, as well as reports on the major disaster of the Ruifeng Mine in 1969, maps of the mining areas in the Keelung region, and important historical documents related to the Ruifeng Mining Co. The most precious part is that Mr. Zhou Zhaonan collected many biographies of miners, and many families come to find information about their parents or grandparents. Seeing the tears of those who realize the hardships their parents endured brings not only deep emotion but also heartache and regret. Currently, the museum's "Stationed Tours" attract over ten thousand visitors each year, while the "Cultural Path Walking" program sees over 2,000 online registrations annually. Additionally, organizations, civil groups, and schools also make reservations to participate. The Houtong Coal Mine Cultural and Historical Museum is a place worth visiting; a trip here will not disappoint.
Base Station 2 - Glass House Exhibition Area
Base Area 2 - Glass House Exhibition Area 1
