During the Japanese occupation period, the Gold Refining Building used to be a place for storing gold and was once the location of “Jinguashi Hotel.” After World War II, it also served as a temporary gold refining factory for the Taiwan Metal Mining Co. during its start-up period. The factory was later relocated to Shuinandong and the Refining Building was converted to other uses.

The building is a two-story brick building, and during the time of Taiwan Metal Mining Corporation, the room on the right side of the main entrance, used to be the welfare agency’s office, which managed welfare facilities such as a ball field, a movie theater, a supply agency, a library, a restaurant, and a barber shop.

Later, it became the temporary office of the Keelung Branch of the Land Bank. The cashier department of Taiwan Metal Mining Corporation was also moved here which released the salaries of the mining employees. The left side of the 1st floor was the employees’ union office of Taiwan Metal Mining Corporation. And the 2nd floor served as the security office of the Kuomintang Party.

Since the building was once used to store and refine gold, it was named the “Gold Refining Building” after the Gold Museum opened. The outer wall of the 2nd floor of the Building has a decorative text of “GC”, the meaning of which remains unknown. Some people speculate that it was the abbreviation for Gold and Copper. The 13-groove tiles on the facade looked particularly special and unique in the Jinguashi settlement surrounded by wooden dorms.

On the right side of the Gold Refining Building’s 1st floor is a small special exhibition hall which promotes non-scheduled special thematic exhibition. The Gold Refining Theater is located on the left side of the 1st floor and broadcasts the film “Mr. Jin’s Life in a Mountain Town”. The film introduces the mining in the early times and the lives of the people who have settled in the “Shuijinjiu” (Shuinandong, Jinguashi and Jiufen) mining area. The heritage site on gold refinery housed inside the Gold Refining Theater is a testament to the passage of time. On the 2nd floor is a permanent exhibition, which through a multimedia interactive experience, allows people to enjoy the Joy of “panning gold in rivers”. The topmost floor is a scenic platform, where people can enjoy the surrounding Keelung Mountain, Teapot Mountain, Benshan and the settlements of Jinguashi. However, due to safety reasons, the topmost floor is not yet open to the public.