Qinghe Coal Mine

A former coal mine south of Wanggu Station (望古車站) in the Huiyao Shikongzi (灰窯石硿子) area of Pingxi. Mining rights were established in 1926 under the Japanese era, when it operated under several names including Junhe Coal Mine (順和炭礦), Pingxi Coal Mine (平溪炭礦), and Shiping Coal Mine (十平炭礦). An institutional Inari shrine, Tohira Inari Shrine (十平稻荷神社), was established near the mine office in February 1942, back when it was known as Shiping Coal Mine (十平煤礦), to protect workers’ safety; it has since been demolished. In the post-war era the mine was taken over by Taiwan Industrial and Mining Corporation, then acquired by Su Gengyan (蘇耿炎) in 1966 and renamed Qinghe Coal Mine. A concrete coal transport bridge spans the Huiyao Creek tributary near the collapsed portal, and the Qinghe Suspension Bridge (慶和吊橋), built in 1967 for hauling coal to Wanggu Station by diesel locomotive, survives along the old rail corridor. The office, bathhouse, and winding houses also remain intact as of the mid-2010s. The mine operated from 1946 to 1991, producing 626,453 tonnes over 39 years.