Bangkuangkou Introduction
Pangongkou is an alternative name for "tunnel entrance." The term "Pangongkou" predominantly refers to the Jiufen Mountain Pangongkou, which was wide enough to accommodate two-way traffic of light vehicles at the time, but currently can only allow one van to pass through at a time. The rock quality is hard, and there are often mountain spring waters dripping from the gaps in the stones inside the tunnel, becoming especially prominent after heavy rainfall. The Wujin-Jiufen area has several Pangongkou entrances for vehicles to pass through, all related to the light railway. During the gold rush in Jiufen, the traditional manpower transport methods along Zhuqi Road and Baojia Road became insufficient, which led Yan Guonian to establish the Ruifang Light Rail Corporation, laying the Ruifang Light Rail Jinguashih Line, which is approximately 6 kilometers long and was completed and opened for service in November of the 6th year of Showa (1931). This railway served as a link between Ruifang, Jiufen, and Jinguashih. The stations along the way include: Ruifang Yuanzaitang, Ling Ganpingli (Liulang), Jiufen Mountain Pangongkou, Jiufen Jilongshan Foot Tunnel, and Jinguashih. Ruifang Station connects to the Keelung Light Rail to reach Keelung. Shortly after its completion, this railway was merged into operations by the "Keelung Light Rail" (Keelung Light Railway Co., Ltd.), becoming the main transportation tool for Jiufen's external communication, significantly boosting the speed of goods supply and product circulation, while also impacting the status of Gangziliao Port (now Ruibin Fishing Port), allowing Ruifang to become an important supply base for Jiufen's materials. This segment between Liulang Head and Liulang Foot had a slope that was too steep for manpower to handle, and vehicles were highly likely to slide and cause accidents, so a Liulang traction system was used, with hooks on the light rail cars attaching to the Liulang cable, which was pulled by the hook motor. This short 6-kilometer light railway traversed three Pangongkou tunnels: the first is the Pangongkou on the Liulang Foot Scenic Path, the second is the Jiufen Mountain Pangongkou before entering Jiufen from the light rail's end, approximately 50 meters long, and the third is the Jilongshan Foot Pangongkou in the middle between Jiufen and Jinguashih, approximately 100 meters long. However, the third tunnel has been closed due to the fault zone formed by the intersection of sandstone and andesite, which is prone to rockfall accidents. Although Pangongkou is merely a tunnel, it has become an intangible symbol of the Jiufen settlement's endpoint. There are some residents and guesthouses on both sides of Pangongkou, and to the west, there are no more inhabitants. Vehicles traveling from west to east must immediately make a 90-degree turn upon passing through Pangongkou; those unfamiliar often mistakenly think that the road ends at the tunnel. After turning right, the view opens up, immediately leading to Songde Park, followed by the housing settlement of Songde Community, and then the confluence of Light Rail Road and Jishan Street, gradually becoming bustling. The scenes at both ends of Pangongkou seem to separate two different worlds. Reference information: on-site interviews, "Jiufen: Oral History of Taiyang River's Two Prosperous Mouths."
