Ben Shan Five Pits Introduction
Benshan Wukeng, as the name suggests, is one of the nine tunnels from the prosperous period of Benshan mining. It is located on the hillside of Benshan, at an altitude of about 295 meters above sea level. After gold mining in Jinguashi ceased in 1972, Wukeng faced the fate of being closed in 1978. Wukeng is the most intact tunnel among the nine mining tunnels in Benshan today, with remnants of air compressors, ore carts, washrooms, and cableways used for transporting ore still preserved, witnessing a century of mining history in Jinguashi. In 2004, the Gold Museum planned to allow visitors to experience the working conditions of miners in the dark tunnels, so a new tunnel approximately 110 meters long was excavated above the original tunnel, connecting to it and extending the original 70-meter flat entrance of Wukeng to 180 meters. After more than three months of excavation, it became the Benshan Wukeng Experience Hall, simulating the mining experience for visitors and allowing them to glimpse the hard work of miners during that time in just a few minutes. Entering the interior of Benshan Wukeng, the walls secured by "cow strips" made of acacia wood resonate with the sound of flowing water, immediately immersing visitors in the humidity of the mine. The warm yellow lighting on the walls casts a golden hue over the originally rough walls. Inside the tunnel, visitors can catch glimpses of various stages of the miners' work in the corners, including tasks such as "setting cow strips," "drilling," "blasting," and "ore transportation," all silently unfolding. A tour guide leads visitors deeper into the tunnel, engaging in conversation with the newly arrived young people and providing detailed explanations of each step of the gold mining process, with his voice echoing throughout the tunnel, stirring the visitors' curiosity to explore further.
