Dongshan Coal Mine Ruins 東山煤礦礦坑遺跡 and Jinfeng Hill

Remains of the Xizhi coal industry just a short walk from historic Wudu Train Station. These days Xizhi is known for high-rise apartment buildings and the electronics industry but it was once part of Taiwan's coal trade.  The heritage building site and coal mine ruins are reached by crossing a pedestrian bridge over the Keelung River and meandering through neighborhood alleys. The route described in this post also climbs to Lingpu Temple 靈菩寺   on top of a short hill that nevertheless has a great view. It's also possible to visit a medium sized pond popular with local fisherman or a famous local landmark: Starlight Bridge where there are riverside bike paths and playgrounds. This is a family friendly walk but watch out for the vexing mosquitos at the coal mine. 

Distance/Time: 4.1 km/ 1 hour 55 mins. More details as well as a map can be found here on my ramblr account.

What to bring: I only took water and a snack. Nothing is really needed. There are stores in the area and there is a water dispensing machine at the temple on Jinfeng Hill. Shoes with good traction are recommended but just about any comfortable footwear will do.

The Trail:  

The heritage site and coal mine ruins are a very short walk from Wudu train station across a pedestrian bridge. Jinfeng Hill is reached by walking back to and behind the station. 

Most of the walk is surfaced except for the grassy path I took to Jinfeng Hill. The road I took on the way back down was steep and slippery but to avoid that walkers could go back down the same way they came up or take the main steps leading down from the temple.

The coal mine got it's name when it changed ownership to the Dongshan Mining Company in 1960. Coal mining was a major industry in Xizhi, especially during the Japanese colonial period but the industry went into decline and the Dongshan Coal mine closed in 1990. The site has well preserved buildings and lots of interpretive information (unfortunately none in English) along with photos. I think it's possible to make an appointment for a guided tour and to see the buildings' interiors but visitors can tour the outside anytime. On the day I went no one was around. The gate was latched with a hook but I just opened it and went in. 

 Jinfeng Hill is only 75 meters in height. It's an easy walk to Lingpu temple on the top and there is a great view. 

Sigupi, a small pond, is on the far side of the hill. It's a medium-sized murky pond that is worth a look. It got it's name because it was owned jointly by four people. In former times it was used for irrigation. 

I did not visit Starlight Bridge but could see it's distinctive shape from the hill. The bridge tower is shaped like a microphone. It is only open to bike and pedestrian traffic. At night the bridge is lit with lights that change color which is how it got its name.  

Transportation:  I took a local train from Taipei Main Station to Wudu Station. The trains run frequently and take about 20 minutes. On the train I was reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.

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The walk: My visit to Wudu took place on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. As I left the station by the front entrance and turned right, it was raining steadily. Luckily, I was equipped with an umbrella. I passed under a parking area on the right side of the road and in just a few minutes could see the entrance to a flat pedestrian bridge on the left. In the background was the orange arch of a larger bridge.

entrance to the pedestrian bridge

I crossed the bridge and on the other side walked straight (passing a 7-11) until I came to blue-painted tunnel under a road.

Bridge over the Keelung River

I passed through the tunnel and bore right into a diagonal alley where I soon saw a sign in Chinese for the mine. I passed a warehouse and came to the black creosote covered gate. 

The gate was latched with a simple metal hook but I reached over, opened it and went in. There was no one around except for a powerful looking but shy black cat that slunk away. 

The site is next to a private residence that is separated by a fence. There is a very attractive garden near the entrance. I spent some time walking around and taking photos.  As I followed the walkway further in, the cat reappeared and disappeared around corners as if it were beckoning me to follow it. There was a gate across the path to the large, stone Buddha and the mine entrance that was closed with a twist of wire. I opened it and then replaced it carefully on the way back out. There were lots of mosquitos and by the time I left my legs were bitten and itching. 

I walked back to Wudu Station. Just before getting to the station I turned left and crossed under the railway. Then turned right passing the back of the station.
 

At the next road I turned left...

 

...and walked for one block till I came to a large road with a an elevated road above it.  At the traffic light there was a small "mom-and-pop" shop on one side and an OK Mart on the other. 

 I crossed the road, turned right and when I came to the narrow entrance of Lane 46 turned into it. 

Coming out of the alley, I turned left into a wider alley which led to the beginning of a path next to a concrete building covered with vines and sprouting ferns from the roof. 

This is a side trail leading to Jinfeng Hill but a very nice one---gentle, with shade, starting out on steps but later turning into a wide grassy path. It took less than ten minutes to reach the top, arriving at the back of a pavilion topped with three white figures sitting in the lotus position. 

By this time, it had stopped raining. The air felt fresh. The sky looked like it had been scrubbed clean by the rain and I enjoyed the view of clouds clinging to the hills.

Behind the pavilion there was a flat concrete track leading to a place marked as a picnic area on Maps.me I walked there to check it out. 

Back at the temple I walked down to the temple proper which is under the pavilion. Compared to many temples in Taiwan, it is relatively sedate. 

To the left of the temple, stairs lead down the far side of the hill to Sigupi.

There were some men fishing on the far side. I did not walk all the way around the pond. I'm a bit ashamed to admit this but --full disclosure--I turned back because of some large thuggish looking geese that showed no signs of moving. They honked loudly and looked alert every time I got closer to them.  Memories of my sister being bitten by geese at a pond when we were children came back to me and, cowardly, I decided it wasn't that important to me to walk all the way around the pond.

I went back up the steps to the temple and passed by the front of the temple. There was an old man sitting in a chair who greeted me. Then I followed a trail/narrow road downhill. 

I came to a place where the path split: steps on the left and the road continuing on the right. The steps are the main path to the temple and lead down to the road. But it was getting close to rush hour and if I took them I would have to walk back to the station along the road--so I decided to take the track on the right which comes out close to the station. 

At one point the road was very steep and slippery. I did not fall but there was definitely the potential so I took it slowly and carefully.

It wasn't long till I reached a city road, then turned right, and right again to join Datong Road Section 3. I passed alley 46 where I had started and walked back to Wudu station. 

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 Map and coordinates:

 Dong Shan Coal Mine Ruins: Google Maps link

 Jinfeng Hill and Lingpu Temple: 25.074163, 121.669703 Google Maps link

Sigupi: 25.072461, 121.669122 Google Maps link 

 http://rblr.co/orc8W