Benshan Wukeng Introduction
Benshan Five Tunnels, as the name suggests, is one of the nine tunnels from the prosperous mining period of Benshan, located on the hillside of Benshan at an elevation of about 295 meters. After gold mining ceased in Jinguashi in 1972, the Five Tunnels faced the fate of closure in 1978. It is the most well-preserved tunnel among the nine tunnels in Benshan today, with remnants of old equipment used for gold mining, such as air compressors, mine carts, washrooms, and ore transportation ropes, still preserved, testifying to a century of mining history in Jinguashi. In 2004, the Golden Museum planned to create an experience for visitors to simulate the working conditions of miners in dark tunnels. Thus, a new 110-meter tunnel was excavated above the original tunnel and connected to it, extending the original 70-meter flat tunnel entrance to 180 meters. After more than three months of excavation, it became the Benshan Five Tunnels Experience Center, allowing visitors to catch a glimpse of the hard work of miners in a short experiential process. Upon entering the Benshan Five Tunnels, the tunnel walls supported by "Niu Tiao Zi" made of acacia wood echo with the sound of flowing water, immediately giving visitors a sense of the dampness of the mine. The yellow-toned lights on the walls render the rough tunnel walls in a golden hue. Inside the tunnel, visitors can catch glimpses of different stages of miners' work in the corners, including constructing "Niu Tiao," drilling, blasting, and transporting ore, all conducted silently. A guide leads visitors deeper into the mine, engaging in conversations with newly arrived young people, detailing each step of the gold mining process, with the sound reverberating through the tunnel, igniting visitors' curiosity to explore further.
