Keelung City adds 2 historic sites to heritage list

2014-12-22

Ching Kuo Mine Well and Pengjia Islet Lighthouse in northern Taiwan’s Keelung City were listed as heritage sites Dec. 18 in a bid to better preserve the municipality’s rich past.

“It is important to protect pieces of our history,” an official from the city government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau said. “We are committed to preserving cultural assets for the current and future generations of residents.”

According to the official, the lighthouse was designated an official historic site, while the mine well was listed a historic building. Both structures have played their part in the island’s development.

Built in 1906, the lighthouse is unique for the pockmarks in its roof and lens from World War II bombing raids, the official said. It also features metal hoops, a design uncommon to lighthouses anywhere.

Coiling around the exterior from the maintenance balcony to the base, the hoops serve to facilitate repairs and protect personnel at work. Though still in operation, the facility is not open to the public.

Launched in 1875, Ching Kuo was the first government-run coal mine in Taiwan during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The site was a strategic target during the Sino-French War (1884-1885) as France sought to obtain control of Taiwan’s mines.

Qing official Liu Ming-chuan destroyed the equipment at the site and flooded the mine with water to prevent access by French forces. After the conflict ended, the well remained abandoned.

The city official said the government will continue maintaining the city’s historic treasures. “With Keelung developing quickly, we are speeding up the addition of new sites to the heritage list,” the official added.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=225395&CtNode=413)