From the Mining Area to the Keelung Fortress | A Visit to Ni Jianghuai's Creative Sites and Cultural Landscapes
Exploring the geography and institutions behind Ni Jianghuai's paintings, the UUIN team visited mining areas and military ruins, transforming culture into design language.
This article is a record and creative extension of the UUIN team's participation in the pre-exhibition walk-through event of "Huaide Lemei - Ni Jianghuai Memorial Exhibition" at the invitation of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.
The descriptions in this article are largely based on on-site observations and the design team's subjective experiences, and may not be based on comprehensive academic research. We sincerely apologize for any incomplete understanding of the historical context and have promptly revised them.
Starting point of the tour: Start from the large slope pit at the bottom of Jingtong Stone
At the invitation of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum , the UUIN team, led by curator Liao Chunling and Xu Shengkai, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Taiwan History at the Academia Sinica , set out from the Jingtongshidi Daxie Mine to uncover the secrets of early mining development. They also visited the Keelung Fortress Headquarters and the banks of the Tianliao River, uncovering a forgotten time capsule.
Due to safety considerations, the museum arranged Jingtong's Shidi Daxiekeng and Jingtong Coal Mine Memorial Park as reference points for this visit.
We also specially invited the great-granddaughter of painter Mr. Ni Jianghuai to join us and experience the beauty of culture together.
Visiting the Jingtong Slope in the Rain: Returning to the Origin of Taiwan's Mining Landscape
Amidst a drizzle, we walked into the Shidi Daxie Mine in Jingtong , New Taipei City—a crucial coal mine entrance and exit during the Japanese colonial era . Traces of switches and rails can still be seen along the slopes, moisture and moss coat the walls, and the air is filled with the scent of earth and vegetation. Standing there in person, we can truly feel the moist, quiet atmosphere captured in the image, a layered connection to history.
Mining Relics and Landscape Perception
The Jingtong Mining Area Memorial Park in New Taipei City features numerous symbolic statues of miners. One depicts a miner working in a mine, wearing a hardhat and holding tools, leaning slightly forward. Another rests against a rock wall, recreating the tired look of a miner after a day of work. The memorial space where the sculptures are located truly captures the industrial rhythm and social atmosphere of the time. Entering this mining area is more than just viewing the statues; it's a tangible experience of the history encased by the coal seams.
We followed the slippery mountain path deeper into the mountains, arriving at the remains of a mining area surrounded by broken bricks, concrete pillars, rusted steel pipes, and wild vines. This wasn't a renovated tourist site, but a historical site left in its original state, continuing to weather.
This journey also allows us to re-understand the style of that era from the perspectives of design, photography and textile developers - echoing UUIN's focus on contemporary expression.
Touching the ore, touching the history
In the muddy ground of the mining area, UUIN designer Liu Zichao picked up black coal mine debris from the exposed surface. The fragments, with their fractured and oily sheen, may be remnants of earlier mining operations. For Liu Zichao, clothing is not a translation of images, but an interaction with the structures formed by local materials, memories, and labor. When design touches the coal mine, it also symbolizes the tangible connection between creative language and historical context.
Artificial Landscape and Compositional Language
In the afternoon, the team entered a remnant of a rock-like landscape, featuring artificial stone walls, caves, and remnant sculptures. The designers explored the misty mountain scenery, the rainy afternoon, the play of light and shadow, the space, and the root-wrapped walls, practicing a physically immersive perspective on the landscape.
Map Model and Reading of Mining Structure
A three-dimensional metal mining area model set up on the grass clearly marks the various structural configurations: mine entrances and exits, selection and washing plants, coal transportation platforms, dormitory areas and communication routes, and is supplemented by explanations in Chinese, English and Japanese .
This isn't just a teaching display; it's a device that transforms perspective . Through the model's bird's-eye view, we can reinterpret the vertical integration and clear division of labor in mining production lines back then.
Hongbao Miners' Canteen: Lunch connects to local life
For lunch, we dined at the Hongbao Miners' Canteen near the mine. The restaurant, which retains the brick walls and wooden windows of the old building, features mining-inspired details. The menu offers classic pork rib rice and traditional side dishes.
This meal wasn't just a brief respite; it felt like a journey down memory lane. From the photographs and ironwork on the walls to the furnishings under the dim light, it evoked a time when miners' lives were still vibrant. The restaurant isn't just a dining space; it carries a local memory of coal mining history , allowing us to connect visually and gustiously with local life.
Keelung Fortress and the Censorship of Landscape Paintings
After arriving at the Keelung Fortress Headquarters , we gained a deeper understanding of the institutional constraints that Ni Jianghuai faced in his creations.
The Keelung Fortress Headquarters was the highest military command center in northern Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. To prevent the possibility of military secrets being leaked, paintings of the scenery within its jurisdiction had to be reviewed by the Keelung Fortress Headquarters before they could be released to the public. Therefore, the inspection stamp of the Keelung Fortress Headquarters can be seen on the back of many of Ni Jianghuai's paintings.
We followed the guide to visit the exhibition hall. The exhibition area includes historical photos, simulated viewing devices and painting archives, from which we understand that landscape painting is not just an image, but a cultural medium that is managed and censored.
The exhibition uses juxtapositions of text and images, along with visual simulations, to supplement our understanding of the institutional context of his paintings. The inclusion of old photographs, miner sketches, and images of mountain scenery also prompts us to consider: the paintings depict not only landscapes but also a historical scene where institutional and creative tensions intersect. 
Translation of the Minato scene and costume design
Finally, we arrived at the Keelung Port Authority Building, overlooking the harbor depicted by Ni Jianghuai, for our final on-site observations. The group dined at a restaurant within the harbor, the harbor itself visible from the window—the outlines on the canvas becoming the real depth of field before our gaze.
As we dine and discuss his lines, blank spaces, and shifts in perspective, we feel as if we've temporarily stepped into the painting. This is a process where institutions and landscapes, history and contours, reunite in contemporary design.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to curator Liao Chunling and postdoctoral researcher Xu Shengkai from the Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica, for their detailed explanations and guided tours. Through their guidance, this walk-through was not just a pre-exhibition tour, but more like a deep and immersive cultural journey.
Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)
Q1: Who is Ni Jianghuai? Why are his paintings worth paying attention to?
A: Ni Jianghuai was the first Western-style painter in Taiwanese art history. He was also a mining industry worker and patron of the arts. His paintings, influenced by the English watercolor style of Ishikawa Kin'ichirō, feature a misty brushwork and elegant colors, often depicting subjects from the everyday environment. He dedicated his life to promoting the development of Taiwanese art. Not only did he actively participate in art activities, he also funded the establishment of groups such as the Seven Stars Painting Circle, the Taiwan Watercolor Association, and the Red Island Society. In 1929, he established the Taiwan Painting Research Institute, making him a key promoter of modern Taiwanese art.
Q2: What is the historical significance of the starting point of this walk, "Shidi Daxiekeng"?
A: According to Ni Jianghuai's 1929 diary, he managed four mines simultaneously: Houtong Xicun Mine, Wudan Mine, Kanjiao Mine, and Badakang Mine. It was a very busy operation, and he also managed a small temporary operation, Shidi No. 2 Mine, in partnership with the Haishan Coal Mine. Ni Jianghuai's enthusiasm for pursuing mining opportunities paralleled his pursuit of artistic ideals. He firmly believed that only by striving to increase mining job opportunities could his ideal artistic life be sustained. For safety reasons, we chose the Shidi Daxie Mine and the Jingtong Coal Mine Memorial Park in Jingtong as reference points for this visit. These relics bear witness to the development of Taiwan's mining industry and allow us to understand the hardships and challenges of maintaining it.
Q3: What was the Keelung Fortress Headquarters? What was its relationship with Ni Chiang-huai?
A: The Keelung Fortress Headquarters served as the highest military command center in northern Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. Its jurisdiction encompassed Keelung, Aodi, Jinshan, Tamsui, Hsinchu, and Houlong. To prevent the leakage of military secrets, paintings of scenery within its jurisdiction had to be reviewed by the Keelung Fortress Headquarters before they could be released. Therefore, the Keelung Fortress Headquarters' inspection stamp can be seen on the backs of many of Ni Chiang-huai's paintings.
Q4: How does UUIN transform Ni Jianghuai’s paintings into clothing designs?
A: UUIN 25SS is inspired by the design director's hometown of Keelung . After obtaining authorization from the Taipei Museum of Art, the landscape tones and compositional language of Ni Jianghuai's "Port (Keelung)" were translated into print and fabric vocabulary to shape the 2025AW "Le Port" series, responding to the intertwined memories of history and geography.
Exhibition Information｜ Huaide Lemei—Ni Jianghuai Memorial Exhibition
Exhibition Period｜2025.06.26 (Wednesday) – 2025.09.28 (Sunday)
Location: Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 2nd Floor, Exhibition Rooms 2A & 2B Address: No. 181, Section 3, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City