Houtong Leisure Park is so-called because it is located in Houtong Village. Last year the managing company revamped the park, so that visitors can now take a ride on a diesel locomotive into the mine shaft. Alternatively, visitors can ride on a handcar, use a coal mining machine, experience panning for gold and other aspects of mining culture — and get a taste of the hard toil experienced by the early miners.
To one side is a three-story building called the Rueisan mining industry building. This was originally the offices of the Rueisan Houtong Mining Company. The office was responsible for administering all the affairs of the Houtong mining area. Inside, there is a magnificent display of old photographs in addition to an old television, rotary dial telephone, miner’s anemometer, gas detector and other nostalgic equipment. Accompanied by a brief introduction to the mining area, in addition to further information, visitors are able to gain a deeper insight into the history and culture of the area.
Next to the park, a bridge built for delivering coal stretches across the Keelung River and connects to a three-story-high coal sorting plant. During the Japanese colonial era, the bridge, together with the railway, delivered coal extracted from the mines from the eastern bank of the Keelung River to the coal sorting plant for sorting and washing before being sent out for sale. The bridge was also made available for use by the public and to this day remains a landmark of Houtong Village.
Photo: Lin Hsin-han, Taipei Times
照片：自由時報記者林欣漢攝
The Houtong Leisure Park provides services such as a barbecue restaurant, a la carte cuisine, afternoon tea and more. The park is open from 9am to 6pm. During the Lunar New Year period, business hours will be extended until 7pm, so it is an ideal day out for the whole family.
Houtong Prospect Gallery
Walk out of the main entrance of Houtong train station, cross Chailiao Road and you will arrive at the Houtong Prospect Gallery. In earlier times, the gallery was a warehouse for the coal handling plant. Because Taiwan Railways goods trains were able to cross the coal delivery bridge and run directly up to the entrance of the warehouse, locomotives would first pause here to unload their cargo, which was then taken by mine trucks and delivered to wherever it was needed. The main function of the warehouse was to provide the coal handling plant and coal delivery center with all the materials required for daily operations. The site has already been designated as a historic building.
Inside the Houtong future vision gallery, photographs and on-site installations provide a feel for what the daily life of coal mining during bygone days would have been like. Various sizes of small-scale models recreate the logistical process of how the coal delivery bridge, coal sorting plant, mine trucks and coal washing machines washed and sorted the coal. Visitors are able to get a feel for the elegance of the mine in its former life. There is also a tourist information center next to the Houtong future vision gallery.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Edward Jones)
猴硐坑休閒園區因位於猴硐庄而得名，業者去年重新整修，讓遊客可搭乘柴油動力車進入礦坑參觀，或搭乘輕便車，使用鑿煤機，體驗淘金等礦業文化及早年礦工的辛勞。
一旁緊鄰的三層樓建築是瑞三礦業大樓，原為瑞三猴硐礦業所辦公室，掌理猴硐礦區全部事務，裡面展示風華老照片，還有老電視、手搖電話、礦工用的測風器和瓦斯檢定器等懷舊工具，搭配礦區簡介等，讓民眾進一步認識礦區文史。
園區旁橫跨基隆河的運煤橋與三樓高的選煤廠相連，日治時期配合火車通車，將基隆河東岸礦坑產出的煤礦送到選煤廠選洗運出銷售，也供民眾通行使用，至今仍是猴硐的地標。
猴硐坑礦業休閒園區提供烤肉、合菜、下午茶等服務，開放時間為上午九點到晚上六點，春節期間延長到晚上七點，適合全家大小共遊。
猴硐願景館
從猴硐火車站大門出來，過柴寮路就是願景館。猴硐願景館早期是整煤廠的倉庫，因台鐵貨車可從運煤橋直達倉庫門口，因此機具都先於此卸貨停放，再由礦車載運到使用場所。主要功能是供應整煤廠、運煤場日常營運所需物料，目前已被指定為歷史建築。
願景館內以照片、實景佈置呈現昔日採礦生活樣貌，並以等比例縮小模型，重現運煤橋、選煤廠、礦車、及洗煤機如何洗選煤炭的流程，可感受昔時的礦山風采。願景館旁的旅遊資訊中心，也提供旅客相關諮詢服務。
(自由時報綜合報導)
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