Shuinandong Smelter (13 levels ore works) Taiwan

[filthyjeeves]

Been a wee while since my last post and to make a change from my addicition to ROC posts I thought this might be of interest to industrial ruins nuts.
I am very lucky to have a job that provides lots of travel opportunities and last month was on a trip to Taiwan. An artist friend of mine over there
has over the past few years spent many hours exploring and photographing Taiwans runied heritage so was grateful to have him as a guide on this trip to the 13 levels ore smelting works in the north of the island

Some history
Located above Liandong Bay, Shuinandong Smelter was built in 1933 during the Japanese Colonial Era to exploit the rich gold and copper reserves in the area. Spread out over the hill side the remains are now better known as the 13 levels despite the fact there are in fact 18 levels. The whole process of gold and copper production from mining to ore crushing smelting and casting/working into final product were carried out on the site. In WW2 the Japanese used allied POWs houses in a nearby camp as slave labour in the plant.

After the restoration of the Taiwanese Government the “Mining Bureau of Gold and Copper” was established. As the areas reserves of gold was gradually exhausted and so the bureau was renamed the Taiwan Metal Company and continued to exploit the copper reserves until the late 70's early 80's when extraction costs and out dated infrastructure saw production become increasingly un economic until its eventual closure.

The oldest structures are the ore crushing levels at the top of the hillside with newer built factory and administrations closer to the botton of the slopes. Home to one of the longest concrete pipelines in the world - to carry the toxic fumes from smelting over the hills away from local communities. Another unique feature of the area is the so called ying yang sea caused by out wash of naturally occuring sediment carried down for the hillside by the river into the bay
.
This is a massive site and even an afternoon there was not enought to see everything but hope this selection of pictures helps show some of its extent.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4684-Copy_zps25eda23e.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4679-Copy_zpsf8ba8cec.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4676-Copy_zps9a63d0bb.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4675-Copy_zpsf277d9f1.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4666-Copy_zpse51dfb87.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4659-Copy_zps71825158.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4654-Copy_zps5ade4ebf.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4610-Copy_zps49b8fcbf.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4594-Copy_zpsf025c495.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4588-Copy_zps8d35cdf0.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4647-Copy_zpsec3d0994.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4586-Copy_zps64412a89.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4584-Copy_zps9c763bd8.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4580-Copy_zpsacd758a7.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4577-Copy_zps99c0fe11.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/jeeves_666/13%20levels%20ore%20works/DSCF4524-Copy_zps6ec8f56c.jpg

[Clough]

Very interesting. Our these stills off a video camera?

[filthyjeeves]

erm would like to say from a flip cam but afraid they are in fact stills, my photography skills are prob not the best :-)