| dc.description.abstract | This study attempts to discuss, under changed policies and different coal-bed geologies, the
historical significance of the transformation of Taiwan’s coal mining development during the
Japanese occupation and after World War II. During the course of the discussion, this study takes
Tucheng, Taipei County, as an example, through which the impacts brought about by policies and
coal-bed geologies on Taiwan’s coal mining development are explored.
With respect to its structure, apart from the introduction and conclusions, this study can be
divided into four chapters. The first chapter discusses natural and human influences in coal
mining. It mainly describes how the complicated, special strata of Taiwan’s coal beds affected
Tucheng’s coal mining development. It also notes changes in coal-mining policy and relevant
institutions and groups during the Japanese occupation and after WWII. Chapter II discusses the
background and causes of the rise of Tucheng’s rise coal-mining industry. Against the background
of Taiwan’s coal-mining development, it seeks to understand how Tucheng’s coal mining industry
developed during the Japanese occupation. Chapter III principally describes how Tucheng’s coal
mining industry recovered after the war and gradually became one of the island’s most important
coal-producing regions. The last chapter mainly discusses how exploitation of coal mines affected
Tucheng’s society, including its population structure, the characteristics of the coal mine owners,
and the conversion of folk beliefs.
After an analysis of historical materials, this study arrived at four key points. First,
characterized by being small and discrete, Taiwan’s coal beds gave rise to differences in coal
mining areas, hence Tucheng’s unique coal-mining development. Second, Tucheng’s coal mining,
due to changes in policy during the Japanese occupation, became a favorite choice for emigration
and investment for individual Japanese persons, although this also led to a plethora of small coal
mines as opposed to other areas. As a result of this, however, the Yamamoto Coal Mine, located
in southern Tucheng, gradually became Tucheng’s biggest mine, making the gap in development
between the north and the south ever wider. Third, shortly after the war, due to a takeover policy,
a majority of coal mines in the area became state-owned. Not until after the implementation of the
“Industry, Mining, Agriculture And Forestry Privatization Measure” did Tucheng’s coal mines
become privately-owned. Later, the Haishan Coal Mine became the second-biggest mine in
Taiwan. Finally, the effect of population structure was more appreciable in mountainous areas
where coal was exploited. In particular, after the war the Amis tribe became the main source of
manpower for coal mining, and a number of Amis communities formed. With regard to mine
owners, both during the Japanese occupation and after the war, most of them came from other
areas, so their influence on the local society was limited. As for folk beliefs, coal miners revered
the Earth God, principally out of concern for mining safety. Besides this, miners who had died in
mining disasters were also revered by retired workers. | en_US |