金九(金瓜石、九份)地區(1895~1987)因為黃金成為重要的礦業聚落,也隨著礦源的枯竭而沒落。1989年臺灣的新電影風潮《悲情城市》獲得威尼斯影展後,使原本急速沒落中的金、九聚落,逐漸為外人所知。新北市立黃金博物館位於金瓜石礦業聚落,於2001年5月開始籌設,是臺灣第一座以生態博物館(ecomuseum)概念發展成立的生態博物園區。最初從地區居民保存特有的生活空間型態凝聚保存意識,由當時臺北縣政府主導協調臺電、臺糖公司(土地所有人),進而跨部會整合資源的投入修建,並於2004年11月4日,正式對外營運開放,面臨許多保存與再利用上的課題,這8年來也逐漸從礦業遺產落實到生態博物園區的發展經驗。
Jin-Jiu (Jinguashi-Jiufen) was an important mining settlement from 1895 to 1987 because of gold extraction but declined as the gold reserves were exhausted. With the award of the Golden Lion to the film City of Sadness at the Venice Film Festival in 1989, Jinguashi and Jiufen settlements gradually came to the attention of outsiders and their fortunes were revived. When the idea of establishing the Gold Museum as first put forward, the local people were strongly supportive of preservation of the settlements because of their unique living space and lifestyle that had developed over a century of gold mining. Taipei County Government (as it was then) coordinated with Taiwan Power Co., and Taiwan Sugar Corp (the land owners) and the museum was built with integrated government resources. The Gold Museum, New Taipei City Government is located in Jinguashi. It was the first museum in Taiwan developed according to the ecomuseum concept. Since officially opening on November 4, 2004, the Gold Museum has faced many preservation and reuse issues and has gradually, over the past eight years, transformed from a museum centered on mining heritage to an ecomuseum.