Jinniu Cave Ancient Mining Site Exhibition Hall

Jinniu Cave Ancient Mining Site Exhibition Hall

The Jinniu Cave Ancient Mining Site Exhibition Hall is a cultural tourism attraction and a patriotic education base.

The Jinniu Cave Ancient Mining Site is located within Fenghuang Administrative Village, Shun’an Town, Tongling County. Since 1987, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Tongling Municipal Cultural Relics Management Office have conducted several archaeological excavations at the site. They unearthed multiple ancient mining shafts and a collection of mining tools, and also discovered numerous ancient mining sites and large accumulations of smelting slag on nearby hills such as Yaoyuan Mountain, Huxing Mountain, and Wan Ying Mountain. Together, these form a relatively complete ancient copper mining, smelting, and casting base, spanning from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Western Han Dynasty. The Jinniu Cave Ancient Mining Site boasts abundant relics and not only serves as compelling evidence of Tongling’s long history as the “Ancient Copper Capital,” but also represents one of the better-preserved, larger-scale, and more representative ancient mining sites in China’s Yangtze River basin. It holds significant historical value for the study of China’s bronze culture and mining history. In 1992, with support from the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Anhui Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, the Tongling Municipal People’s Government carried out preliminary restoration and preservation work on the site, making it the second officially opened ancient copper mine site in China open to visitors, following the Tonglushan Ancient Copper Mine Site in Hubei. In December 1996, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council.

The restored Jinniu Cave site is majestic and spectacular. Ninety-two cement pillars, symbolizing the year 1992, are linked by antique bronze chains and surrounded by lush green pines and cypresses, giving the site an air of solemnity unique to ancient copper mines. At the entrance, a 2-ton bronze bull sculpture stands at the center, with the eight golden characters “Jinniu Cave Ancient Mining Site” engraved on its granite base—calligraphy by Zhu Muzhi, former Minister of Culture. To the west lies a spacious parking lot, and to the north is the site exhibition hall. In recent years, the Tongling Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau has carried out comprehensive maintenance and protection of the site, redesigned the exhibition layout, and used methods such as scene simulation and cultural relic displays to promote the long-standing traditional culture of the Chinese nation and bring back to life the long and splendid history of mining, smelting, and casting at the Jinniu Cave site.

Shun’an Town: A national comprehensive reform pilot town and a key central town in Anhui Province, Shun’an Town (formed from the merger of the former Shun’an Town and Xinqiao Town) is located in the central-eastern part of Tongling, China’s Ancient Copper Capital, approximately 12 kilometers from downtown Tongling and 60 kilometers from downtown Wuhu. The town administers 27 villages, 1 community, and 2 neighborhood committees, with a total population of over 52,000, including more than 16,000 permanent residents in the town area, covering a total area of 138 square kilometers. The town hosts hundreds of enterprises and institutions, including major local companies such as Tongling Chemical Group Xinqiao Pyrite Mine, Nonferrous Feng Mine, Tongling Rolling Stock Plant, and Synthetic Ammonia Plant… More details about Shun’an Town ++