With an area of only 19,400 km2, accounting for about 1/500 of China’s total area, Chenzhou - “South Gate of Hunan Province”, is renowned as "The World Museum of Non-ferrous Metals", "The Home of Non-ferrous Metals in China ", “The Silver Capital of China", and "The City of Microcrystalline Graphite" because of its wide variety of mineral resources and huge reserves.

 

Among the 70 kinds of minerals in 7 categories whose reserves have been discovered in Chenzhou, the reserves of tungsten and bismuth top the world; those of neodymium and molybdenum rank first in China; those of tin and zinc rank third and fourth respectively in China; and that of lead comes thirteenth in China. Shizhuyuan Mining Area, roughly 10 km away from Chenzhou city, boasts 140 kinds of mineral deposits, among which the reserve of tungsten there surpasses the total reserve of tungsten in the United States and former Soviet Union, accounting for 1/4 of the sum of the world's total reserves. In addition, silver production at Yongxing County of Chenzhou City makes up about 1/3 of the total production in China, providing up to 2,000 tons of processed silver each year, which promises a bright future in the gold and silver industry.

 

Chenzhou is also rich in non-metallic resources. It is understood that the reserve of microcrystalline graphite (a rare mineral) in Chenzhou reaches 36 million tons, accounting for half of the total reserve in China. Chenzhou’s fluorite reserve is more than 68 million tons, accounting for 76% of total reserves of associated fluorite. The coal reserve reaches 800 million tons, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the total in Hunan. In addition, Chenzhou has unique hsianghualite and liberite, which possess great value for scientific research, collection and ornament, and are recognized as rare minerals by the International Society of Minerals.

 

In accordance with the standard established in the year of 1996 by former Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources, the potential value of mineral resources in Chenzhou amounts up to 262.6 billion yuan. Some experts believe that it will surpass 1 trillion yuan because of the increasing investment in geological exploration and rising prices of mineral resources.

 

After decades of development, nonferrous metal industry in Chenzhou has formed an initially complete industrial production system, consisting of geological prospecting, mining, ore dressing, smelting and processing, which constitutes one of the six mainstay industries in Chenzhou, functioning as a major non-ferrous metal production base in China. Driven by scientific and technological progress and innovation, taking a new road to industrialization, Chenzhou nonferrous metal industry will develop by leaps and bounds, with comprehensive utilization of non-ferrous metals, the development of industrial chain and high-tech economy as the mainline, creating a world-renowned industrial base.