Mining Site Introduction
Located in Gongguan Township, it is the birthplace of petroleum in Taiwan. The earliest discovery of oil in Taiwan was in the 22nd year of the Jiaqing era (AD 1813), at the site of "Chuhuangkheng No. 1 Well," about eighty meters to the right front of the entrance of Chuhuangkheng. This was the first well drilled by the Japanese. Due to the rich oil source at Chuhuangkheng, a total of 99 wells were drilled by the Japanese. The name "Chuhuangkheng" came about because local people discovered a liquid with a sulfuric color bubbling up from the ground; they did not know it was crude oil and thought it was sulfur, hence the name "Chuhuangkheng." Chuhuangkheng is the earliest and most important oil mining site in Taiwan, geologically classified as an anticline structure. The central part is the highest, and both wings slope outward, trapping oil and gas within the anticline structure, which is extracted through wells. The wings of the Chuhuangkheng anticline are composed of alternating soft and hard sandstone and shale. The geological structure, stratigraphy, and paleontology research in this area make it a typical region in Taiwan, a must-visit for those studying geology! The China National Petroleum Corporation also marks the geological strata of the Houlung Creek Valley in the southern part of this township along the roadside, making it a great place for field geological education. At night, the mining area of Chuhuangkheng is brilliantly illuminated, with bright lights, on the left is a farm, and the scenery is extremely beautiful, earning it the nickname "Night Hong Kong."
