Page 106 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Heritage and development of Tonglushan mine site

depleted, the once-thriving industrial towns began to In modern usage, “Tonglushan” refers to multiple
decline in the 1 decade of the 21 century. Consequently, entities and facilities. These include the Tonglushan Mine
st
st
identifying sustainable development approaches became Company and the Tonglushan Ancient Copper Mine Site
an inevitable necessity for the region’s transformation. Museum. Geographically, the Tonglushan area covers a
production zone that supports two mining companies,
Within the broader context of modernization,
China’s interpretation and application of the World one steelworks, two building materials factories, four
rural villages, and three residential units for industrial
Heritage Convention have progressively facilitated the workers.
implementation of a diverse range of heritage projects.
These projects are considered a primary driving force in In addition, Tonglushan features an archeological
transforming the socio-economic structures of heritage museum, which has served as a public cultural facility
sites and promoting regional development (Evans & since the 1980s. Today, the majority of the land is used for
Rowland 2014). Archeological sites, often located outside industrial purposes, followed by residential buildings and
urban centers, have emerged as significant catalysts for a small portion of arable land.
urban and rural development, particularly through historic
urban branding (Hsueh, 2013; Law, 2023; Wang, 2015). 2. The industrialization process of
The Tonglushan ancient copper mine site, discovered Tonglushan area
within the Tonglushan mining area, preserves relics of Since 1950s, China has prioritized the development of
copper mining from the Spring and Autumn period (770 – heavy industry, especially the search for mineral resources
476 BCE). Recognizing its historical significance, the local to support metal industries, such as steel production.
government has designated the site as a key resource for Following a geological survey that discovered rich copper
cultural tourism. and iron deposits in the Tonglushan area, located in the
southeastern part of Hubei province, the Ministry of
This article examines the heritage protection practices Metallurgy officially established a mine there in 1965,
at Tonglushan – an ancient mining site located within employing approximately 1,400 workers. By 1971, the
a modern mining area – as a case study to explore the first phase of the open-pit mining project had started
relationship between cultural heritage and regional production, and the number of mine workers had
development. In addition, it reconsiders the significance of increased to 3,033 (TMC, 1995). Over time, Tonglushan
heritage value at national, local, collective, and individual transformed from a rural countryside into an industrial
levels. settlement centered around state-owned mining
From the summer of 2016 until August 2017, the companies, township mining enterprises, and services
author conducted fieldwork in Tonglushan. The fieldwork catering to the mining workforce. The local population
involved living in the community, observing the daily lives primarily consisted of miners, their families, and nearby
of miners and farmers, participating in cultural heritage farmers.
preservation efforts, and conducting in-depth interviews 2.1. Changes in land functions
with participants from various backgrounds.
Based on related literature and field interviews, the
1.1. What is Tonglushan? Tonglushan area in the 1940s and 1950s was primarily
Tonglushan, also known as Mt. Verdigris, is a hilly area composed of lake rice fields and mountainous areas, where
situated 5 mi in Daye County, Hubei province, China. tenant peasants ‒ primarily from a family surnamed Cao
Facing Daye Lake and located near several streams, ‒ cultivated the land. At that time, transportation to the
Tonglushan lies in the middle reaches of the Yangzi River. County town, located 3 km away, required a wooden boat.
According to local chronicles from the Ming (1368 – 1644) A 1970 satellite photo (Figure 1) also shows the presence
1
and Qing (1644 – 1912) dynasties, the area was historically of typical southern rice fields . However, the discovery of
recognized as a site of copper production. rich mineral resources triggered rapid industrialization in
the region.
The mountain features a high, flat summit, large rocks,
and purple-red soil. After heavy rains, copper-green ore This shift is reflected in land use changes. According
would wash down from slopes, giving the mountain its to Zhou et al. (1996, p. 13): “The state-owned mining
name, Tonglushan (铜绿山) (Chen & Lin, 1971). Historical 1 This image is based on a snapshot from the USGS
documents indicate that while the mountain was officially website (https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/), last accessed on
controlled by the government, local residents also engaged December 3, 2018. The original photo is credited to: U.S.
in mining activities. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior/USGS.

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4898