Songshan Iron Mine Site

Songshan Iron Mine Site

The Songshan Iron Mine Site is a cultural heritage site protected by Kaiyuan City.

Songshan Iron Mine Site: Located in Banlingou, Shanhuai Village, Songshan Town, Kaiyuan City, about 1 kilometer south of the Zhanghuan Line highway. In 1931, the survey team (geology) of Mantetsu (South Manchuria Railway) Survey Company discovered the iron ore deposit. In 1933, the “Kyowa Iron Mountain Co., Ltd.”, a subsidiary of Mantetsu, was established to mine the iron ore, employing up to 4,000 Chinese laborers at its peak. The laborers were all Chinese prisoners of war captured by the Japanese army on the battlefield and local young civilians who were rounded up.

According to mining records, from 1937 to 1944, “a total of 450,000 tons of iron ore were extracted, along with immeasurable amounts of placer gold and limestone,” making it one of the key sources for the Japanese military's frenzied plundering of China’s mineral resources. After the liberation, the mine was reclaimed. Remaining relics from the Japanese puppet regime period include mine shafts, office buildings, Japanese-style residences, ammunition depots, and railway roadbeds—serving as historical evidence of Japan’s exploitation of China’s precious mineral wealth during the occupation.

Protected Area: Eastern Section: 50 meters beyond the southern edge of the cultural heritage structures, and 100 meters beyond the eastern and northern edges. Western Section: 50 meters beyond the southern edge of the cultural heritage structures, and 100 meters beyond the western and northern edges.

Construction Control Zone: 100 meters beyond the boundaries of the eastern and western protected areas.

Shanhuai Village: Shanhuai Village…… More details about Shanhuai Village++