A Surprise
Today, we were exploring the area above Jiufen, which once belonged to the former Benshan Shaft No. 3 mining complex. After decades of mining activity, these shafts have almost completely disappeared, and the topography has changed considerably due to typhoons and collapses. However, the underground network was much more complex than one might imagine, consisting […]
The Search
Dangerous (snakes, landslides) The post describes an attempt to locate Dacukeng Mine No. 6. For general informationen about Dacukeng, please see: https://lostplaces.tw/a-borrowed-life/ An elderly resident gave me in July a rough description of where Mine No. 6 was located, so I set out to find it. Google Earth and Google Maps are of little help […]
A strange one: Or the erotic in Lost Places
in process I had been seeing the chimney, which indicates the presence of a former brick factory, from the train to Hukou for a long time. When I finally managed to locate the site, I found some rather peculiar CDs near the entrance — more about that strange discovery below. Despite searching extensively, it took […]
Secondary Shafts
2026/8/30 dangerous (snakes, traps, collapse) In addition to the large open mining areas and the more than 600 km of interconnected mine shafts, there were numerous smaller mines. Some may extend only a few metres into the hillside, while others can run for several hundred metres. They were often quite small and, in some cases, […]
Mine No. 16
In process The Jialuopai coalfield near Neiwan has, with a few exceptions, largely fallen into oblivion. I think this is where a new project begins: searching for the remains of a mine that still exist deep in the mountains. Today, I only explored the first trail. There must have been large villages further down the […]
The Queen reclaims what is hers
ed. 2026/8/23 still in process dangerous (traps, snakes) Humans have done nature a great deal of wrong. They not only destroy themselves in the process—probably not a great loss to nature—they alter it, destroy it, and poison it. But whatever happens, nature ultimately wins and reclaims what belongs to it. This description may sound less […]
A little shaft
2026/9/22 dangerous (snakes) Although, by name, it may have been the smaller counterpart to Dacukeng, the settlement of XiaocuKeng must nevertheless have covered a considerable area, with numerous fields. From the Keelung River, a small path once led up to the village. Today, it is only a hiking trail, but it is still well preserved, […]
History of mining area around Jinguashi and Houtong
ed. 2026/9/22 very dangerous! (toxic, snakes, unstable, green frogs) in process It is actually quite remarkable how little well-organized information can be found about the Shuinandong Smelter and its surroundings. While bits and pieces are scattered across various websites, comprehensive and coherent background information is surprisingly rare. I’ve already covered parts of the story elsewhere, […]
A borrowed life
2026/7/22 (in process) High risk (unstable, overgrown, poisonous snakes like habu, green viper) Remark: The old photographs are now preserved in the temple. Dacukeng and the movie This post weaves together the story of a little-known village, the search for long-forgotten mines, and the acclaimed Taiwanese film A Borrowed Life, whose story unfolds in this […]
History and nature
Few people realize that the Alishan Forest Railway once had an extensive network with numerous branch lines. Today, almost nothing remains of most of these branches, with the Mianyue Line being the notable exception. Hidden beside the road, this tunnel esides the highway No. 18 has survived, although the railway tracks that once led to […]