This area was originally a Ketagalan settlement, called "Ki-ppare" (Basay: Quimourije),[2] meaning "bumper harvest". This was later adapted as Kimpauli (金包里; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kim-pau-lí), the choice of characters perhaps influenced by the discovery of golden dust in the Sulfur creeks.[3] In 1920 during Japanese rule, the area was renamed Kanayama Village (金山庄), Kīrun District (基隆郡), Taihoku Prefecture.
Qingshui Wetland
Adjacent to Jinshan town at the north-west is a lowland wetland formed by alluvial deposits from Sulphur Creek (磺溪), Xishi Creek (西勢溪) and Qingshui Creek (清水溪). It is the last resting point in Taiwan for many migratory birds heading north during Spring and the first in the country for those heading south during Autumn.[4] It has also served as habitat for rare vagrants such as the critically endangered Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus)[4] and endangered Red-Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis).[5]