Text by Li Xinyi, compiled and reported
The Jhenping Theater in Jiufen, which reopened last September (2011), has returned to its former glory, screening classic films from the 1950s and allowing visitors to experience the vibrant atmosphere of Jiufen in days gone by. Starting in January, aside from weekends, on weekdays from Monday to Friday, the theater will begin showing two documentaries filmed and produced locally by Japanese director Masayuki Hayashi: "Listening to the Wind: Tales of Jiufen, Taiwan" and "Dancing Raindrops: The Last Light of Jinguashi." Some of the interviewees in these two films are over 80 years old, most of whom are elderly Taiwanese and Japanese who once worked in the mines of Jiufen and Jinguashi during the Japanese colonial period. The films vividly reflect the colonial history, subtly documenting the miners’ work, school life, and the changes in the communities as told by the elders.
The Jhenping Theater represents the prosperity Jiufen once had, and is also a shared memory of the older generations in Jinguashi and Jiufen. (Photo by Traveler Li Xinyi)
Since its reopening on September 16 last year, to recreate the multi-functional art and cultural space that the Jhenping Theater once was, in addition to static nostalgic exhibits, glove puppet shows, narrated storytelling performances, community art performances, and lectures, classic old films are also screened every Friday to Sunday afternoon. In January, the films to be shown include "My Daughter, Roulan" (1/7), "The Duck Herder’s Family" (1/8), "The Silent Wife" (1/14), "Cousin Wanjun" (1/15), "The Lonely Seventeen" (1/21), "The Bride and I" (1/28), and "Home in Taipei" (1/29)—all popular classics from the 1950s—every Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
The Japanese director’s films feature interviews with miners from Jinguashi and Jiufen, inadvertently recording the prosperity of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. The photo shows an elderly Jinguashi miner explaining gold panning techniques—a must-do experience for tourists visiting Jinguashi today. (Photo by Traveler Li Xinyi)
Starting in 2012, aside from weekends, more weekday screenings will also be added. From Monday to Friday at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM, the theater will screen "Listening to the Wind: Tales of Jiufen, Taiwan," made in 2007 by Japanese documentary director Masayuki Hayashi against the backdrop of the rise and fall of Jiufen’s mines, and "Dancing Raindrops: The Last Light of Jinguashi," created in 2009 themed around the rise and fall of the Jinguashi mines.
The Japanese documentary filmmaker Masayuki Hayashi’s "Dancing Raindrops: The Last Light of Jinguashi," themed around the rise and fall of the Jinguashi mines. (Image provided by New Taipei City Gold Museum)