Benshan Wukeng Introduction
Benshan Five Mine, as the name suggests, is one of the nine tunnels from the prosperous era of Benshan mining, located on the hillside of Benshan at an altitude of approximately 295 meters. After gold mining in Jinguashih ceased in 1972, the Five Mine faced the prospect of closure in 1978. It is the most well-preserved tunnel among the nine mines in Benshan today, with remnants of past gold mining equipment, including air compressors, mining locomotives, washrooms, and ore transport systems, all preserved to witness a century of mining history in Jinguashih. In 2004, the Golden Museum Area was planned to allow visitors to experience the working conditions of miners in the dark tunnels. A new tunnel about 110 meters long was excavated above the original pit and connected to the old tunnel, extending the original 70-meter horizontal entrance of the Five Mine to 180 meters. This excavation took more than three months and has now become the Benshan Five Mine Experience Hall, simulating the mining experience and allowing visitors to glimpse the hard work of miners in just a few minutes. Upon entering Benshan Five Mine, the structure of the tunnel, supported by "cow strips" made of acacia wood, echoes with the sound of flowing water, instantly immersing visitors in the damp atmosphere of the mine. The yellow lighting on the walls renders the rough tunnel walls golden. In the tunnel, visitors can catch glimpses of the various stages of miners' work at different corners, including "supporting cow strips," "drilling," "blasting," and "transporting ore," all silently taking place. A guide named Ah Jin leads visitors deeper into the mine, conversing with the newly arrived young people, meticulously introducing every step of gold mining, with his voice echoing through the tunnel and evoking visitors' curiosity to explore further.
