Mining in Hong Kong refers to

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

activities in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. Despite its small size, Hong Kong has a relatively large number of mineral deposits. Although some have been mined commercially, there are currently no commercial mining operations in Hong Kong.

Mines

The four main mines in Hong Kong are the

Lin Ma Hang Lin Ma Hang () is a village in the Sha Tau Kok area of Hong Kong and is situated north of the New Territories, next to the Shenzhen river, east of Heung Yuen Wai and west of Hung Fa Leng. Administration Lin Ma Hang is a recognized village u ...

Lead Mine (mainly galena for lead), the Needle Hill Tungsten Mine (Wolframite and Molybdenite), the Ma On Shan Iron Mine (magnetite for iron), and the West Brother Graphite Mine (graphite). Historical mines in Hong Kong include: (The figures indicate the length of the tunnels) *

0.9 km * Needle Hill 3.4 km *

Lin Fa Shan, Tsuen Wan Lin Fa Shan () is mountain in Hong Kong. With a height of in Tsuen Wan District, it is situated within Tai Lam Country Park. The former Lin Fa Shan Mine was located near Sheung Tong. Wolframite was mined there. See also * List of mountains, pea ...

2.3 km * Ma On Shan 23.5 km * West Brother Island extensive * Sha Lo Wan Mines 0.3 km (Lantau Island) *

Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...

(Silver Mine Bay) (Lantau Island)

Types of mining

Iron

The largest iron deposit is found at Ma On Shan, where the Ma On Shan Iron Mine was in operation from 1906 to 1976.

Lead

Lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

was firstly discovered around 1860s in

. The first mining company was formed in 1917 and operated for only three years. A 75-year mining lease was issued in 1925. The mine ownership changed in 1932 and again in 1937. At that time, 2.1 kilometres of tunnels had been developed and this was extended by the new owner, but all work was suspended in 1940 due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Small-scale mining was carried out by the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

from 1941-1945, mostly by robbing pillars in the eastern section of the mine, which caused a

cave-in A cave-in is a collapse of a geologic formation, mine or structure which may occur during mining, tunneling, or steep-walled excavation such as trenching. Geologic structures prone to spontaneous cave-ins include alvar, tsingy and other ...

. Afterwards, the mine remained abandoned until 1951 when various contractors resumed activities.

Labor unrest A labour revolt or workers' uprising is a period of civil unrest characterised by strong labour militancy and strike activity. The history of labour revolts often provides the historical basis for many advocates of Marxism, communism, socialism, a ...

, strikes, typhoon damage and falling lead price led to the closure of the mine on 30 June 1958 with about 60% of reserves remaining. The mining lease expired in April 1962.

Silver

, on

Lantau island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao or Lan Tau) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located west of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the ...

, is located on Silvermine Bay, so named for the

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

mines that were once worked along the Silver River which flows through the village. The nearby Silvermine Cave was mined for galena, a mineral which is mostly lead but contains small amounts of silver, during the second half of the 19th century.

Tungsten

Tungsten Tungsten (also called wolfram) is a chemical element; it has symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively in compounds with other elements. It was identified as a distinct element in 1781 and first ...

deposits were first discovered in 1935 at Needle Hill. A mining license was issued in the same year and the mining development started in 1938 and continued through the Japanese occupation period. Mining activities increased during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

when the price of tungsten rose sharply. By 1967, the tungsten price had declined and the labor cost had risen, prompting the suspension of the mining operation. Tungsten was discovered in Sha Lo Wan, and its ore was quarried in the area in the 1950s, leading to a population increase, which reached 4,000 in 1971. The population has dropped again since the 1970s.Brief Information on Proposed Grade III Items. Item #1151

Legal aspects

Under the Mining Ordinance Chapter 285, power to grant mining and prospecting licences is vested in the Commissioner of Mines who is, as of 2020, the Director of Civil Engineering and Development.

Quarries

Current and former quarries in Hong Kong include: * Anderson Road Quarry * Four hills of Kowloon, historically the site of

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

quarries in

Kwun Tong District Kwun Tong is one of the districts of Hong Kong, 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in Kowloon, and is the easternmost and southernmost district in Kowloon. It had a population of 666,500 in 2023. The district has the second highest pop ...

* Lamma Quarry * Quarry Hill *

Shek O Shek O is an area of the south-eastern part of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. It can refer to Shek O village, Shek O Peninsula or Shek O Headland. Administratively, they are part of Southern District. Geography The name ''Shek O'' litera ...

Quarry *

Turret Hill Quarry Turret Hill (), also known as Nui Po Shan, is a peak southeast of Tolo Harbour in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It has a height of 399 metres. The mountain is located in the Sha Tin District. History A quarry named Turret Hill Quarry was loca ...

, exploited from the mid-1960s to 1984