Jinguashi Crown Prince Chalet was built in 1922 by Tanaka Mining Company during the Japanese rule period as a temporary residence for the then Crown Prince of Japan (later Emperor Showa) to visit the Jinguashi mine. Although the Crown Prince did not come to Jinguashi, the imperial commissioners came to stay five or six times, and the red carpets were rolled out to welcome them, leading to the misunderstanding that the Crown Prince had come to the hotel, which made the chalet famous.
The chalet is located to the southeast of the present-day Jinguashi Police Station and Post Office, surrounded by dense shade and seclusion. It was built in traditional Japanese structure but with western idea of space, forming an eclectic style of Japanese and Western architecture that was popular at that time.
On the north side is a beautifully landscaped Japanese garden, and on the south side are a mini golf course and an archery range, where you can feel the delicate aesthetics of Japanese space as you stroll around. The main building is a typical Japanese high-class architecture, and the configuration of the building and the exterior garden are arranged in the en-echelon arrangement, making it a distinctive Japanese style residence constructed with a large amount of cypress.
The main body of the Crown Prince Chalet incorporates the spatial characteristics of various types of Japanese buildings such as mansions, inns and guest houses, demonstrating the specialty of Japanese architecture to change uses according to demands.
The building materials are made of the finest woods, such as cypress, rosewood, and cherry wood, and are carefully handcrafted and delicately inlaid, making it a very elegant Japanese architectural design.
The use of the traditional mortise-and-tenon joint construction method, without using any iron nails, has made the building become a model for many architects and scholars to study and research.
The scenery in the outdoor garden of the Japanese house, the fish swimming lively in the fish pond, and the 100-year-old crape myrtle tree together give the surroundings a noble and elegant atmosphere, which is very appealing.
After World War II, the Crown Prince Chalet was taken over by the Taiwan Gold and Copper Mining Bureau and renamed “The First Guest House”, where many dignitaries of the KMT (the leading party then in R.O.C Government) often came for vacations. It was later taken over by Taipower Company and renovated in 1995. On March 14, 2007, the Crown Prince Chalet was officially declared a designated historic building by New Taipei City Government and is now open to the public but only for the exterior garden.
