A large grain grower Tan Jiuban opened up the wasteland to cultivate rice in earlier years. But due to the small and scattered plots, poor natural conditions, the benefits were low. 

 

Since the ecological restoration was implemented in mines, the soil fertility of the arable land has gradually recovered. Tan Jiuban then expanded the rice planting area to 1,000 mu (about 66.67 hectares). 

 

Last year, he also established a family farm with an annual income of nearly 300,000 yuan. Tan Jiuban said that this year, the rice yield has increased by over 50 kg per mu (about 0.067 hectares). 

 

Xinshi Village is located in the Heye mining area of Guiyang County. Local villagers once became rich because of mining at the expense of ecology.  

 

In order to seek common progress in economic development and ecological environment protection, South Graphite of China National Building Material Group was introduced to have 114 mines merged around the mining area, completely reversing the situation of disorderly mining. A joint restoration method integrating comprehensive utilization, restoration and photovoltaic power was adopted to promote the comprehensive rectification and utilization of mines. 

 

A village cadre said that the village has developed photovoltaic power generation projects and built a fully-automatic coal gangue processing production line. All sales proceeds are used for ecological restoration. 

 

 

Now, the mining area has reclaimed over 1,000 mu (about 66.67 hectares) of land, and more than 200 villagers chose to return their hometowns for agricultural development. 

 

Chenzhou is China’s famous hometown of nonferrous metals, with reserves of tungsten, bismuth, tin and other minerals ranking among the top in China and even the world. The mining economy once accounted for over 50% of the city’s GDP, which brought unprecedented material wealth but also irreparable ecological damage. 

 

Zhang Wandong, director of the Natural Resources and Planning Bureau of Chenzhou City, noted that the city has taken a series of measures to implement mine restoration projects, and created a green development pattern. 

 

Today’s Chenzhou is increasingly charming thanks to ecological restoration of mines and comprehensive environmental protection. Now, 108 green mines have been built in the city, ranking first in the province. Among them, Baoshan and Shizhuyuan have become national mining parks. 

 

Guiyang County has invested more than 200 million yuan in mine restoration and built industrial and mining tourism projects based on Baoshan’s long mining and metallurgical history and culture. 

 

Hunan Baoshan National Mining Park has been awarded such titles as the National Mining Park and the National 4A Tourist Attraction, attracting tourist groups in droves. 

 

Suxian District, Guiyang County, and Yongxing County have been rated as the 2022 National Natural Resource Conservation and Intensive Demonstration County. 

 

The demonstration project for comprehensive management of geological environment in metal mining areas in Suxian District was selected as one of the top ten examples of ecological restoration in the first national land space of Hunan Province.

 

The Heye Taiqing mining area in Guiyang County was selected as one of the top ten examples of ecological restoration in the second national land space of Hunan Province. 

 

Zhang Wandong said that the city completed the restoration of 3,500-mu (about 233-hectare) mines last year, and this year the city plans to complete 15,000 mu (1,000 hectares). 

 

Chenzhou and Hengyang have jointly applied for the demonstration project of ecological restoration of abandoned mines left in the northern foot of the Nanling Mountains in the southern hilly region of Hunan Province, and won financial support of 196 million yuan from superior departments. The ecological restoration of 1,700 hectares of abandoned mines will be completed. The project is currently undergoing exploration and design and the construction will have been started by the end of September.