Taijin Theater

Táijīn Theater (台金戲院) is located in the former company town of Shuǐnǎndòng (水湳洞) in Ruifang, Taiwan. It was built by the Taiwan Metals Company (臺灣金屬鑛業股份有限公司) along a hillside terrace overlooking what is now known as the Yin-Yang Sea (陰陽海). Along with Luxing Theater (陸興戲院) in nearby Pingxi it is one of the only two remaining theaters purpose-built for miners in Taiwan. It may have also been known simply as Zhongshan Hall (中山堂).

Date CapturedAugust 15th, 2019 at 09:36 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 9Shutter Speed1/320 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 15th, 2019 at 09:36 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 9Shutter Speed1/320 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 15th, 2019 at 09:37 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 5.6Shutter Speed1/125 secFocal Length23.0 mmISO200Exposure Value11.9 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

The specific history of this theater has yet to be elucidated, but it was likely built in the 1960s, or perhaps the early 1970s, and it is safe to assume it was abandoned in the late 1980s as the mining company went bankrupt in 1987. Supposedly it had a capacity for 1,000 audience members, but this estimate feels a little high after having visited the space. All of the original wooden chairs have been removed in recent years though.

Date CapturedAugust 17th, 2021 at 08:22 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VRApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/30 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO160Exposure Value8.5 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 17th, 2021 at 08:26 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6GApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/15 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO1600Exposure Value7.5 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 17th, 2021 at 08:27 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6GApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/8 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO1600Exposure Value6.6 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 17th, 2021 at 08:30 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VRApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/30 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO1250Exposure Value8.5 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 17th, 2021 at 08:23 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6GApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/8 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO1600Exposure Value6.6 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 17th, 2021 at 08:24 UTCCameraNIKON D3400LensAF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR or AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6GApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/30 secFocal Length20.0 mmISO500Exposure Value8.5 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Although it looks abandoned from the outside the interior has been cleaned up and it is occasionally used for special events as of around 2020¹. Previously it was frequently cited on lists of Taiwan’s most haunted places in the popular press, and it was regularly a target for ghost-hunters and other thrill-seekers². The remote location, scenic surroundings, and decrepit conditions inside provided powerful visuals for content creators, but those days may be over now.

Date CapturedAugust 15th, 2019 at 09:50 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 9Shutter Speed1/320 secFocal Length22.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 15th, 2019 at 09:44 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 15th, 2019 at 09:48 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedAugust 15th, 2019 at 09:44 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length24.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Footnotes

1. This gallery on Facebook shows conditions in the theaters prior to when it was cleaned up. ↩

2. Ghost stories tend to be self-reinforcing, particularly in the social media era, as many spooky videos have been recorded at this theater and widely shared. Most of these stories follow a similar pattern: while this theater was being built a construction worker fell to his death and was entombed in the structure. If you’re curious, here is a great example of the genre, which is faintly reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. Tony Huang has a far more pleasant walkthrough video of the area if you prefer something less sensational. ↩