aeeble

The Benshan ore body is a key gold-mining district in Jinguashi. In 1893 (the 19th year of Guangxu), prospectors panning the Keelung River traced it upstream from Houtong and discovered the Jiufen Xiaojingua outcrop. The following May they uncovered the Jinmai outcrop of the Big Jingua, whose exposed rocks resembled a golden gourd, hence the name “Jinguashi.” The Benshan vein extends vertically from 600 m above sea level at the summit of the Big Jingua down to 130 m below sea level without pinching out. Gold grades are consistent along the entire vein; the ore body locally exceeds 100 m in width, and the longest lodes stretch more than 2 km, while shorter ones still reach several hundred metres. It is the most important gold deposit in the Jinguashi area. In addition to gold, the Benshan outcrop yielded enargite in April 1904, when the mineral was found in Benshan’s No. 3 shaft. Jinguashi Peak once stood 660 m above sea level, but a century of mining has lowered it 106 m to the level of the No. 3 shaft (about 500 m a.s.l.). Thanks to open-pit mining, the geology is now superbly exposed, forming a ready-made outdoor classroom.