Gongguan

Gōngguǎn (公館) is a rural township in central Miaoli with a predominantly Hakka population. It is known primarily for Chuhuangkeng (出磺坑), the site of East Asia’s first modern oil well and still an active natural gas production area. The township also developed coal mining and ceramics industries during the Japanese colonial era, with remnants including a climbing kiln and several abandoned coal mines.