BaFanKeng (8th Tunnel)

BaFanKeng means "the 8th Tunnel". It is close to Qiche Road and Shuqi Road intersection. Visitors may walk along the road beside "Jiufen" bus station and toward Taiyang Parking lots. There is a "FuDe temple" that worships TuDiGong (The God of Neighborhood). BaFanKeng is located beside the temple. Tourists stand in the courtyard of the temple and look down, there are rail and tunnel entrance, and abandoned factory can been seen.

BaFanKeng is beside the abandoned factory of Taiyang Company, and surrounded by wall. Tourists cannot get close to this tunnel. The arched beam of the tunnel entrance was made of AnShan rock, and the rest was made of sandstone. There are two 100-year-old trees above the tunnel entrance. Local people said that these trees were already there before BaFanKeng was mined. BaFanKeng was also called "Yang tunnel". It was a complicated tunnel. There is a horizontal inscribed board above the tunnel entrance that tells BaFanKeng was mined in 1900.

BaFanKeng always attracts lots of tourists and photographers. It is a popular scenic spot in Jiufen. Tourists can enjoy the great scenery of this beautiful and historical tunnel.

Before miners go into the tunnel, they will visit FuDe temple and pray for safety and success of gold mining. The temperature in the tunnel is around 18 degrees centigrade. During the gold rush era, there were noodle shop and blacksmith shop beside the tunnel. Miners had to sharpen their mining tools before they went into the tunnel. When they leave the tunnel, they might eat in the noodle shop. Now the tunnel left for people to remeber the faded glory.

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