Jinguashi is a settlement located in the northeastern part of Taiwan’s main island, administratively belonging to Ruifang District, New Taipei City. It lies between the northern spur of the Xueshan Range and the northeastern coastal area. Due to its proximity to Jiufen, Jinguashi was also an important mining area in the early days, and together they are commonly referred to as the "Jin-Jiu area."

In April 1905, the mining director of Jinguashi Mine discovered a rare arsenic copper ore. By August of the same year, they found a large amount of gold-containing arsenic copper ore while digging a horizontal tunnel. That same year, a dry smelting plant specifically designed to process gold-containing arsenic copper ore was established in Shui-Nan-Dong. In 1907, the Jinguashi Mine produced 47 metric tons of copper ore for the first time, gradually becoming a world-renowned copper mine.