猴硐煤礦博物園區

Monkey Mine Museum


Useful Information

Location: Chailiao Rd, 42號, Ruifang District, New Taipei City.
(25.086688, 121.827741)
Open: All year daily 8-18.
[2022]
Fee:
Classification: MineCoal Mine
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Monkey Mine Museum, Chailiao Rd, 42號, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, 224, Taiwan, Tel: +886-2-2497-4143.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1935 Houtong Colliery opened.
1940 Ruisan Colliery opened.
2004 beginning of planning for park.
2006 beginning of restauration.
24-JUL-2010 park opened to the public.

Description

猴硐煤礦博物園區 (Monkey Mine Museum or Houtong Coal Mine Museum) is located at a former mining town, which is today known as cat town, because it has far more cats than inhabitants. Today coal mining in the area is abandoned, but it was an important industry in the past. Numerous remains are today tourist sites, like the Coal Transport Bridge, Ruisan Mining Coal Preparation Plant, Japanese Shrine, Golden Monument Ancient Road and Houtong Railway Station. The railway station was once much bigger, numerous rails which were used to transport the coal were abandoned and have become a small pedestrian zone. The former warehouse of the Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant was transformed into a Visitor Center. There are numerous restored sites and a museum about coal mining, it's possible to ride a mine train along the river and into a mine tunnel with underground tour.