Bang Keng Kou Introduction
Bangkuo is another term for "tunnel entrance," and it mostly refers to the Bangkuo in Jiufen. Its width was able to accommodate light vehicles passing in both directions at the time, but currently, it can only allow one van to pass at a time. The rock is hard, and there are often mountain spring waters dripping from the crevices in the tunnel, especially after heavy rain, which becomes more apparent. In the Wujin-Jiufen area, there are several Bangkuo passages for vehicles, all related to the light rail. During the gold rush in Jiufen, traditional human-powered transportation methods via Zhusong Road and Baojia Road became insufficient, leading Yan Guonian to establish the Ruifang Light Railway Company to build the Ruifang-Liugongshi Line, which is approximately 6 kilometers long and was completed in November 1931. This railway served as a connection between Ruifang, Jiufen, and Jinguashi. The stations along the route include: Ruifang Yuanzi Tangling Ganpingli (Liulong) (Jiufen Mountain Bangkuo) Jiufen Jilong Mountain Foot Tunnel No. 6 Bridge Jinguashi. Ruifang Station is connected to the Keelung Light Railway, reaching Keelung. Shortly after the completion of this railway, it was merged and operated by the "Keelung Light Railway" (Keelung Light Railway Company), becoming the main transportation for Jiufen’s external communication, significantly enhancing the speed of goods supply and product circulation, and impacting the status of Gangziliao Port (now Ruibin Fishing Port), making Ruifang an important supply base for Jiufen. This section between Liulongtou and Liulongjia was too steep for human capacity, and vehicles were likely to slide and cause accidents. Thus, the use of Liulong was adopted to tow the lightweight vehicles; hooks on the lightweight vehicles are attached to the Liulong cable, which is powered by the hook's force. This short 6-kilometer light railway traversed through three Bangkuos: one is the Bangkuo on the Liulangjia Scenic Trail (Liulongjia Scenic Trail), the second is the Jiufen Mountain Bangkuo before entering Jiufen, about 50 meters long, and the third is the Jilong Mountain Foot Bangkuo that travels from Jiufen to Jinguashi, about 100 meters long. However, the third tunnel has been closed due to potential rockfalls caused by fault zones formed by the intersection of sandstone and andesite. Although Bangkuo is just a tunnel, it has become an intangible symbol of the endpoint of the Jiufen settlement. There are some households and guesthouses on both sides of Bangkuo, and further west, there are no more residents. Vehicles traveling from west to east through Bangkuo must immediately make a 90-degree turn; those unfamiliar often think the road at Bangkuo is the end. After the right turn, the scene opens up, revealing Songde Park, and further ahead, the housing settlements of the Songde Community can be seen, followed by the intersection of the light rail and Jishan Street, gradually becoming lively. The two ends of Bangkuo appear to separate two different worlds. Reference information: On-site interview, "Jiufen: Oral History of Taiyang and Jiangliang."
