On May 27th, in early summer, the construction site of the China Gold Museum project in Jiapigou Town, Huadian City, was a hive of activity. Tower cranes moved, machinery roared, and workers busily shuttled back and forth as the project entered its final sprint phase. Rooted in a century-old gold vein and carrying profound historical memories, this new cultural and tourism landmark is shedding its construction veil and preparing for its grand debut.
At the site, the main structure has already taken shape, revealing a grand and orderly outline. Interior decoration, mechanical and electrical installations, exhibition framework construction, and exterior curtain wall detailing are all progressing simultaneously across multiple work areas. Construction teams are seizing the optimal building period, meticulously scheduling tasks to ensure the project is completed with high quality and efficiency.
Since its commencement in August last year, the project team has overcome numerous challenges, including extreme cold temperatures, achieving the main structure's topping-out in just five months. Now, the finishing work is accelerating in an orderly manner, transforming the vision for this century-old gold mine's metamorphosis into reality.
Beneath the bustling construction lies the rich, two-century history of Jiapigou's gold vein. As the museum nears completion, a collection of precious historical materials is set to be unveiled. Old blueprints, textual records, and physical relics will quietly narrate the trials and tribulations of this century-old mine.
As the first mechanized non-ferrous metal mine taken over by New China, Jiapigou Gold Mine's mining history dates back to 1820, with uninterrupted production for over two hundred years, making it one of China's oldest surviving gold mines—a true "century-old gold vault."
Throughout its long mining history, the mine has witnessed changing eras and bore witness to struggles and hardships. After the September 18th Incident, when Northeast China fell under occupation, Jiapigou Gold Mine was forcibly seized by Japanese invaders and placed under the full control of the Manchuria Mining Company. The invaders established two mining offices in Jiapigou and Laoniugou, setting up a strict colonial administration, private torture chambers, and guard dog enclosures. They exploited miners through a brutal feudal contractor system, relentlessly plundering local gold resources. During these dark times, countless miners endured immense suffering, and precious mineral resources were shamelessly looted, leaving the mine steeped in blood and tears.
Amidst national peril and turmoil, the spark of resistance ignited in the mining area. Heroes of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, such as Yang Jingyu and Wei Zhengmin, moved through the Jiapigou mining area, establishing secret camps in the mountainous terrain. They rooted themselves among the people, gathered strength, and waged arduous guerrilla warfare in the rugged mountains. Using the mine as their stronghold and the forests as their shield, these heroes fought valiantly, leaving behind inspiring tales of revolutionary struggle on this golden land and imbuing the century-old gold vein with an indelible red legacy.
With the victory in the War of Resistance in 1945, the long-suffering Jiapigou Gold Mine was finally returned to the people and began a new chapter. After the founding of New China, this century-old mine embarked on a fresh developmental path. Generations of miners dedicated themselves to their craft, pursued innovation, continuously upgraded mining technologies, optimized production processes, repeatedly set national gold production records, and achieved numerous industry milestones. Over eighty years of relentless effort laid a solid foundation for the development of China's gold and non-ferrous metal industries.
Beyond high production yields, Jiapigou Gold Mine has also shouldered industry responsibilities and demonstrated a spirit of commitment. Since 1948, over seventy years, it has trained and dispatched more than 8,000 technical professionals to the national non-ferrous metal industry, nurturing a large number of industry leaders, technical experts, and skilled craftsmen. It has consistently supplied talent, technology, and experience to the national mining sector, earning the reputation as the "Cradle of China's Non-Ferrous Metal Industry."
Today, the eagerly developing China Gold Museum serves as a new vehicle for the transformation and upgrading of this century-old mine. Leveraging Jiapigou's unique century-old gold mining history, profound industrial heritage, and valuable historical resources, the museum will systematically organize and comprehensively display the mine's 200-year mining journey, colonial resistance history, revolutionary stories, and industrial development achievements.
In the future, this new museum will break away from a single exhibition model, integrating functions such as sightseeing, cultural research, science education, and historical legacy promotion. It will delve into the core of gold culture, industrial culture, and historical culture, aiming to become a distinctive cultural and tourism landmark along the G334 cultural tourism corridor.
Having weathered storms and transitions—from a site of suffering and an industrial cradle to a cultural and tourism icon—the legendary story of Jiapigou is poised to shine with new brilliance in the new era.