Ruifang Scenic Area Introduction
Ruifang District is located in the northern part of New Taipei City and is a coastal scenic area. In the past, mining was the most important industry in Ruifang, including gold mines in Jiufen and Jinguashi and coal mines in Houtong. After the depletion of mineral resources, the area began to decline, but it regained popularity after being featured in films and advertisements, attracting thousands of tourists to its traditional landscape, forest tranquility, and beautiful seascapes, reviving its once bustling atmosphere. Jinguashi, also known as the Golden Mountain City, is named for its gold mines. The shape of the mountain's outcrop resembles a large pumpkin, leading to the name Jinguashi. Due to its unique geological mineral deposits and mining cultural landscapes, along with buildings from the gold mining era, abandoned mines, tunnels, tools, and monuments, the area records the East Asian mining economy and colonial history during the first half of the 20th century, as well as many valuable cultural landscapes. Jinguashi is surrounded by mountains on three sides with one side facing the sea, rich in minerals. The region belongs to the Keelung volcanic group, bordered by the Pacific coast to the east and north, connected to the Datun volcanic group to the northwest and to the Wufen Mountain and Yingzi Mountain groups to the south, making it a unique area of mountains and sea with overlapping natural landscapes. Jiufen Old Street flourished during the gold mining period and is known as "Little Shanghai" or "Little Hong Kong." Legend has it that before the land route was opened, all supplies relied on sea transport, and since there were only nine households in the village, they requested to have "nine portions" when purchasing goods, hence the name Jiufen. Jiufen declined along with the mining industry but regained global attention after the film "A City of Sadness" won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1989. The once-thriving old street, abandoned mines, and unique mining landscapes attract artists and tourists to savor the emotional essence of this poignant city. "Spring clouds, summer seas, autumn rice, winter fog" best depict the seasonal charm of Jiufen. Visitors can enjoy different seasonal and temporal natural landscapes at any time. Houtong, the hometown of black gold, has spectacular cliffs about 20 meters high on both sides of the Keelung River. The name originates from a cave at the top of the local cliffs where monkeys once lived, called "Monkey Cave." As the coal mining industry rose, it became known as "Houtong," with the term "洞" (cave) changed to "硐" (tunnel) due to the aversion to water in the mines. Houtong originally thrived due to coal mining but gradually became desolate and quiet as mining declined, leaving behind a beauty etched by time. To showcase Houtong's historical prosperity from coal mining, the Houtong Coal Mine Museum Park has been established, allowing visitors to experience the past lives of miners. The Ruifang Mine and Ruifang Coal Transportation Bridge are located by Houtong Train Station and the Keelung River. This black structure is operated by Li Jianxing, a mining magnate from Ruifang District, and at its peak, it produced about one-seventh of Taiwan's coal output, making it the top mining company at the time. The Ruifang Arch Bridge spans the Keelung River, connecting Fuxing Pit and Ruifang Coal Mine. The view from Jieshou Bridge showcases the elegant and strong silhouette of the Ruifang Arch Bridge against the Keelung River, serving as a landscape landmark for the Houtong area.
