Mining Genius Loci

• Photographer
  Sheng-Yu Lin
• Technical Info
  Iso800, 63mm, F22, 1/30s
• Photo Date
  April 2, 2025

The Jinguashi Shrine, built in 1898 and renovated in 1936, was to bless the safe and productive mining of gold during the Japanese colonial period. After World War II, the shrine remained in dereliction until it was designated and restored as a legal cultural heritage site. The site provides critical proof of how the colonial state managed gold resources and implanted Japanese cultural beliefs into locals' lives. The remaining structures even demonstrate the adaptation of Shinto architecture in 1930s Taiwan.