Jinguashi

Jinguashi (Chinkuashih; Chinese: 金瓜石; pinyin: Jīnguāshí; Wade–Giles: Chin1-kua1-shih2; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kim-koe-chio̍h) is a town in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, notable for its historic gold and copper mines.

From 1942 to 1945, the town was the location of the Kinkaseki Prisoner of War (POW) Camp (Chinese: 金瓜石戰俘營; Japanese: 金瓜石／きんかせき捕虜監視所).

[4] Forced laborers also cleared agricultural land and improved water work; beriberi was rampant among the prisoners.

The camp mines were closed in March 1945, as transport of copper to the Japanese home islands become impossible due to Allied naval power.

[9] Although the minerals have since been depleted, the town still attracts many visitors to its Gold Ecological Park, which opened in October 2004.