Cukengkou Hiking Trail Introduction
The Cuokengkou Hiking Trail is located in the Shijiao Pavilion area of Ruifang District. It can be accessed by making the first right turn after the Shijiao Pavilion bus stop on Route 8. The trail first leads to the Changxing Temple, which has existed since the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, making it a site with significant historical depth. Not far from the Changxing Temple, below the hillside cemetery, there is an abandoned Sanrong Coal Mine. It is said that the owner of Sanrong Coal Company at that time was a woman, and the locals also refer to Cuokengkou as "Zha Ma Keng." Although there are many forks along the trail, they are well-marked, making it easy to navigate. When you reach the upper exit of the trail, don't be in a hurry to turn back; instead, walk about 3 to 5 minutes to the right along the trail, where you will find a viewing platform that overlooks the Shijiao Pavilion area and offers distant views of Wufen Mountain. Dacuokeng has nearly a century of gold mining history. At its peak, the gold mining industry attracted a population of 3,000, making it one of the three regions with the highest consumer spending in Taiwan, alongside Jinguashi and Jiufen. The settlement was filled with entertainment venues such as casinos, hotels, and billiard halls, earning it the nickname "Little America." Films such as "Café Lumière" and "A City of Sadness" were shot here, and the settlement described in the film "Duo Sang" is Dacuokeng. Within the settlement, there are two abandoned classrooms, which were originally part of the Dashan Branch of Hozan Elementary School, where director Wu Nien-jen completed his first four grades of elementary school.
