TREASURE HUNTERS in Taiwan may have to pay a HK$220,000 deposit - five times higher than the current rate - for their activities, as treasure-hunt mania is causing more and more damage to the environment.
The rumour that there is hidden gold in Taiwan began to grow last year, when several retired soldiers applied for gold-digging permits in Taipei.
Though the team found nothing after months of digging, their actions sparked off a country-wide trend. Thousands of treasure-hunting applications flew in, with the most popular areas being scenic spots and historical sites around Taipei, Kaohsiung, and mountain areas in Taichung. Rumours of hidden gold have been circulating since after the Second World War, during wihich time the Japanese occupied the island. Some Taiwanese captives and former Japanese military officers claimed that they saw Japanese soldiers burying gold before the evacuation, and drew treasure maps.
Some applicants told government officials that the Japanese had hidden the treasures in 45 spots around Taiwan. The treasures in eight of the spots alone are said to be worth more than HK$75 billion, and three of them are in Taipei, the sources said.
The Taiwan government clarified that there is no gold or jewellery hidden underground. All of the endeavours in the past few decades, it said, had ended in vain.
