Mount Keelung Audio Guide

Mount Keelung: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Mount Keelung

   Welcome to Mount Keelung, the peak that stands guard over Jiufen in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, on Taiwan's northern coast. You may also see it written as Keelung Mountain or Jilong Mountain. Anyone who has wandered Jiufen's lantern-lit lanes knows its profile, because it is the great green landmark rising behind the town. A quick word on what this guide covers. The mountain's own written history is thin, so I will tell you what is clearly known about the peak itself: its place among Taiwan's favorite short hikes, its scenery and its views. Around that I will bring in the story of the gold-mining country of Jiufen, which is the world this mountain overlooks. I will always make clear which is which. The summit stands just under 600 meters above the sea, which is modest for a Taiwanese mountain. Yet it sits so close to the coast that it feels far taller. Settle in, and let's start with the ground beneath your feet.

2. 02

   Volcanic Rock and the Gold Rush

   Start with the rock itself. Mount Keelung belongs to the Keelung Volcano Group, a cluster of old volcanic hills in northern Taiwan. Most of that group is made of dacite, a volcanic rock. The usual explanation is that this volcanic legacy is why the surrounding hills, around Jiufen and its neighbor Jinguashi, were so rich in gold and copper. The gold story is a late one. Taiwan has had references to gold production going back to the year 1430, but the wealth of the island's gold districts was not widely understood until the late Qing era. In 1890, workmen building the new railway between Taipei and Keelung turned up flakes of gold. Then in 1893 a rich placer district was found in the hills nearby, a deposit where gold lies loose in gravel, and it produced several kilograms of gold a day. That discovery reshaped the whole area. Jiufen began as a small village and grew prosperous as a gold-mining town. Even today, if you look carefully from the mountain toward the neighboring hills, you can pick out the flues of an abandoned copper works, a quiet reminder of what lay under all this green.

3. 03

   The Town Below: Jiufen's Many Chapters

   Look down from the mountain and you are looking at a town with layers of history. Jiufen's roots reach back to the Qing Dynasty, but it boomed as a gold-mining town during the Japanese period from 1895 to 1945. Many of the features visitors admire today, the narrow winding alleys, the teahouses and the lantern-lit streets, reflect that era, and some Japanese inns still survive. There is a darker chapter too. During the Second World War, a prisoner-of-war camp called Kinkaseki was set up in the area. It held Allied soldiers captured in Singapore, including many British, and they were put to work in the nearby gold mines. The last chapter is a cinematic one. In 1989, Hou Hsiao-hsien's film A City of Sadness, set in Jiufen, won acclaim around the world. It was the first film to touch on the February 28 incident, then a taboo subject in Taiwan. The film's nostalgic scenery drew people back, and Jiufen revived as a destination. Today the old street, with its shops, teahouses and restaurants, is the heart of the town, and Mount Keelung is its backdrop.

4. 04

   Climbing the Stone Steps to the Summit

   Now for the part that makes this mountain beloved: the climb. Choose a day with decent weather, because the views are the whole reward. Along the way you pass several pavilions, and as the third one comes into view you know the top is close. Turn around on the way up and you will see Jiufen, and to its left the odd knob of Teapot Mountain. The summit itself is simple, with a viewing platform, a gazebo, benches, information boards and a couple of masts. Then comes the full circle of scenery: Jiufen, the coastal mountains, the Pacific Ocean and the Taiwan Strait. On clear days you can make out Badouzi, Keelung Port and Keelung Island to the west, and the shape of Heping Island along the north coast. This view has long been admired. The mountain was chosen as one of the eight scenic spots of Keelung in both the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese period, and today it is listed as number 006 among Taiwan's Xiao Bai Yue, the small hundred peaks.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Mount Keelung is not the tallest or the most dramatic peak you will ever climb, but its charm lies in perspective. It lets you see familiar places from a new angle: the old street you just wandered, the knob of Teapot Mountain, the harbor sweeping around the bay, and the hills where gold and copper once shaped everyone's lives. If you have the chance, consider seeing Jiufen from the mountain after dark. The town's lights spread across the slope below, and the night view of Jiufen from this peak is a well-known one. When you look out from the summit, try tracing the coastline slowly. Which headland, island or harbor can you name? And what in the folds of those green hills might still be hiding the old mining story? Take your time, let your eyes wander, and enjoy the view.