Fan shan’s New Goldmine

Abundant in alunite， a source mineral used to produce alum， Fanshan （literally，“Alum Mountain”） Town in Cangnan County， Wenzhou City， Zhejiang Province has fostered alum mining for more than 600 years. The town holds a proven alunite reserve of 240 million tons， accounting for 80 percent of the total in China and 60 percent of the world’s. So， it is referred to as the “world’s alum capital.”

Since the 1990s， China’s market transformation and industrial upgrade has rendered traditional heavy-polluting industries such as alum mining obsolete. After years of exploration， Fanshan has successfully completed an industrial transformation by halting alum production and renovating factories and mining sites into scenic spots， which has revived the town.

Mining Destination

Founded in 1956， the Wenzhou Alum Mine in Fanshan was once a key state-class chemical mine and covered two square kilometers. In its prime， over 200 mining groups worked in 76 mining pits and five workshops processed ore from four mining zones. Potassium alum， the mine’s flagship product， was once sold all over the world. Naturally， mining became the pillar industry of the region and contri buted more than a third of Wenzhou’s total industrial output value. Many Fanshan residents amassed fortunes through developing the alum industry. But thanks to social and economic development， alum has been replaced by newer materials. Moreover， alum mining was incredibly destructive to the local environment. So， it gradually faded away in Fanshan.

In 2012， Fanshan committed to shifting its development mode from heavy industry to a tourism-based economy and applied for listing as a world industrial heritage site. The ecological environment at the mining sites and their surrounding areas have been restored， and rivers once polluted by alum waste water have become clear again. Previously bald mountains smoked by alum emissions have become green once again after air seeding to promote afforestation. Thanks to years of effort， green mountains， clear waters and blue skies have reemerged in the town.

Fudewan Village is an epitome of the town’s drastic transformation. A few years ago when the alum industry was enduring a steep decline， local young people were all leaving the village to make a living elsewhere. But in recent years， surging tourism has attracted many of them to return home to open family hotels and tea houses， which has further promoted native tourism. Today， visitors can be seen wandering through the village’s bustling streets filled with snack stalls， tea houses and souvenir stands. A dozen ancient houses and old factory buildings have been refurbished into mid-level and high-end family hotels. Sponsored by the local government， a tourist center is under construction in the No. 5 workshop， and another boutique hotel is expected to open in 2019.

Renewal and Prosperity

The municipal government of Wenzhou played an important role in promoting Fudewan’s transformation from an industrial village into a tourist destination. In 2013， the local government invested 7.35 million yuan （US$1.1 million） to build an alum mining museum and an alunite exhibition hall in addition to finishing the first and second phases of the renovation project to protect and develop ancient villages in Fanshan Town.

Because of unremitting effort， Fudewan was dubbed a “Chinese historical and cultural village.” It was recognized by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. In 2017， all the alum mines were shut down， and tourist visits exceeded 900，000， up 20 percent from the previous year.

The same year， Fanshan spent 36 million yuan （US$5.37 million） to renovate and upgrade streets with mining culture， transform industrial sites into cultural landmarks with alum sculptures， re-appropriate mining cars and make pits into featured parks. Many tourists visit to experience alum production-related items like tram tracks， furnaces， crystallizing ponds and underground water ponds purified by alums in crisscrossing mine caves.

“In the future， we plan to build it into an educational base for primary and high school students nationwide，” reveals Chen Peibiao， Party Secretary of Fanshan Town.“By combining mine workshop light shows and tram tours， we hope to integrate entertainment， culture and creativity. The transformation of Fanshan is a road to revival， and we see the road getting broader and broader.”