Across China: Exhausted mercury capital has tourist revival

Fifteen years after mercury reserves were exhausted, and Li Yuanjun lost his mining job, he returned to the deserted mines as a security guard.

"I patrol former mining sites, which receive large crowds of sightseers these days," said Li, 48.

A cluster of 18 pits, where more than 1,000 workers toiled until the late 1990s, is a highlight of "the ancient vermilion town," a tourist project that has received nearly 1 million visitors since its launch in May.

Li is among some 50 ex-miners who have secured new jobs in the tourist town of Wanshan District, southwest China's Guizhou Province, over the past six months. He earns about 3,000 yuan (431.4 U.S. dollars) a month.

"It's the same old place, but has changed dramatically and pays more," he said.

Wanshan, with a population of 270,000, was dubbed China's "mercury capital" in the 1950s, with Asia's largest mercury reserves.

"In its heyday, thousands of workers took turns to work in the pits every day," Li said.

The mines became exhausted in the late 1990s. In 2001 the mine where he worked was closed, and he joined those hunting for jobs in faraway cities.

"For 15 years I did petty jobs in Guangdong Province, longing to return home all the while," Li said.

He got wind of the new tourist destination last year when a company based in eastern China's Jiangxi Province reached a deal with the local government to invest 500 million yuan in the "ancient vermilion town."

"Though the resources are exhausted, our mining culture is still intact," said Tian Yujun, Party chief of Wanshan. "Culture is the very root and essence of tourism."

Mercury mining in Wanshan dates back to the Qin and Han dynasties, more than 2,000 years ago, when the mineral was widely used for making pigment.

Today, deserted pits are accessible for visitors to see scenes of mercury mining. A 970-km laneway has been renovated into a "time tunnel" to exhibit the town's mining history. A narrow plank road made of glass has been built on the craggy mountain cliff, triggering cries of terror and excitement among visitors.

"The new tourist attraction has created nearly 1,000 jobs for local residents," said Zhang Jigang, chief of Wanshan. Endi