Filmmakers were sensitive to this trend and produced a raft of period pieces. Several of the better ones were filmed in Chiufen because it had been ignored by developers and so hadn't changed much over the years. This attracted the attention of the art community, which is always on the lookout for inspiring locations and cheap rent for studios. Weekend tourists from Taipei helped the artists pay for supplies without having to prostitute themselves in the big city. Fishing village to gold town and ghost town to artist colony. The wheel turns.
One thing that hasn't changed since those golden years is the Temple of 10,000 Wishes, which is dedicated to feeding unhappy souls and lonely ghosts. No prudent Chinese wants discontented neighbors in this life or the next, and will go to great lengths to appease them. Given the town's checkered past, this shrine is understandably given abundant attention. One resident, though, seems to literally thrive in Chiufen's ghostly milieu.
They call him Ceramic Wu (泥人吳), and he calls his studio--located about two kilometers from Chiufen proper in Chinkuashi (金瓜石)--the Ghost Museum. It is darkly painted and dimly lit. He might open the door if you knock loud; but then again, he might not. And if he
does open up you might get scolded for knocking too loudly even if you came at his invitation, on time, while he was still sleeping. Ignore the "curator's" eccentricities and walk in. He is part of the museum.
Be careful not to step on dusty toads in the corners or bump your head on glaring gargoyles hanging from very low doorways. Wu sloshes down a second mug of strong coffee and begins the show. He moves around the studio visiting his creations while pretending to sweep an already clean floor.
"Every day here is like a holiday," he blurts out joyfully, while extending both arms toward a window with an unimpeded view of the ocean. A cursory dusting, a slight adjustment. Tickling the underside of Chiufen in a morning ritual that activates his creative juices, he notices a recent project, a screaming miner bound hand and foot in a yogic-looking posture about to be dropped in a vat of boiling oil. Inspiration hits and he scoops the piece up, seeing clearly how to finish it. Now he's beaming. Ceramic Wu has found his spot in the sun--or is it the fog?
Chiufen is less than an hour from Taipei Railway Station. A 45-minute train ride takes you to Juifang for less than NT$75 (US$2.70). From there, it is a 10-minute bus ride to Chiufen. A number of clean and comfortable inns there offer rooms for NT$400-500, but there are no upmarket hotels. Ceramic Wu's Gallery is in the immediate vicinity of the main Chinkuashi bus stop, which is on the way to Chiufen if you take a bus from Taipei. Address: 114 Chinkuang Road, Chinkuashi (瑞芳鎮金瓜石金光路114號); tel: (02) 496-2016.