Chukuang Tunnel Mine. Located in Kaikuang Village, Gongguan Township, it is the birthplace of Taiwan's petroleum industry. Located in Kaikuang Village, Gongguan Township, it is the birthplace of Taiwan's petroleum industry. Taiwan's earliest discovery of petroleum was in 1813 (Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing 22nd year). The site of the "Chuhuakeng No. 1 Well," about eighty meters to the right of the main entrance of the Chuhuakeng oil field, was the first well drilled by the Japanese. Due to the abundant oil source at Chuhuakeng, the Japanese drilled a total of 99 wells. The name "Chuhuakeng" originated from the locals discovering a liquid with a sulfurous color bubbling from underground. They did not know it was "crude oil" and mistook it for sulfur, hence the name "Chuhuakeng" (Sulfur Spring Pit). Chuhuakeng is Taiwan's earliest and most important oil mining site. Geologically, it belongs to an anticline structure, with the highest point in the center and wings sloping outwards. Oil and gas are trapped within the anticline structure and extracted through oil wells. The wings of the Chuhuakeng anticline are composed of alternating layers of sandstone and shale with different hardness. The geological structure, strata, and paleontology of this area are also typical for research in Taiwan, making it a must-visit place for geology students! The Chinese Petroleum Corporation has also marked the geological strata in the Houlong River valley in the southern part of this township along the roadside, making it an excellent location for field geology education. The Chukuang Tunnel Mine is brilliantly lit at night, with a farm to the left, offering extremely beautiful scenery, also known as "Night Hong Kong."
Address: 苗栗縣公館鄉開礦村36號
Hours: 00:00–23:59
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