Coming home to roost
When Taiwan Metals shut down in 1987, it left no major employers in the district. Residents began to move away and these once prosperous mountain towns fell silent. But later, some people came to appreciate that quiet and chose to stay.
Spouses Shi Cenyi and Chen Zemin are a case in point. They decided to relocate to Shuinandong 20 years ago, before the three goldrush towns became tourism hotspots.
“Ruifang is really special. It’s got mountains, the ocean, and a river, plus farming, fishing and mining.”
“We decided to move to Shuinandong because we thought it was the prettiest of the three towns,” says Shi. “Its beauty is precious, with the Golden Waterfalls, the Yinyang Sea, and the 13-tiered ruins of the old smelter.”
Shi puts her knowledge of landscape design, architecture, arts management and cultural policy to practical use in Ruifang. She has served as head of the Gold Museum, worked with locals to set up the Shancheng Gallery, and recently bought a spot in Ruifang’s old town with the intention of creating a combination classroom and hostel.
In contrast, author Lai Shuya moved from Jinguashi to Taipei with her family at the age of nine, but never forgot her hometown. Personal connections and nostalgia for the place drew her back, and she now maintains a second home in Jinguashi. Formerly employed by a publisher, she finds inspiration to write about history nearly everywhere in and around Jinguashi and does fieldwork there. “My feelings for my hometown pull me forward like a locomotive.”
The lanterns, old buildings, and hidden alleys of Ruifang’s quiet old streets highlight its history.