Miyi Zhonghua Green

Miyi Zhonghua Green

　　Miyi Zhonghua Green granite is produced in Miyi County, Panzhihua City, and stands out among the “big family” of granites. In 1987, it was showcased at the Clara World Stone Exhibition in Italy, where it caught the eye of experts and manufacturers from around the world. They praised its unpretentious elegance and refined brilliance, and from then on, it gained worldwide fame.

Zhonghua Green (GM01–05), in its raw form, appears dark gray to gray-black, but when polished to a mirror finish, it displays a deep emerald green. Its vibrant green hue instantly evokes a cool, elegant, and tranquil atmosphere. Zhonghua Green shines brilliantly, and with its jade-like charm, it has adorned countless buildings including the Beijing Asian Games Village, Guangzhou Trade Tower, Shanghai Mansion, Shenyang Restaurant, and Jinjiang Hotel, showcasing its true value.

Among its peers, Zhonghua Green is the “emperor’s daughter”—superior in quality with moderate hardness, excellent sawing, cutting, and polishing performance, high yield, smooth finish, and especially superior color. In the European and American markets, red, gray, and rose-colored granite sell for $400 per cubic meter, yellow for $600 per cubic meter, while green and blue can reach as high as $2,500 per cubic meter. Research shows that green rock is extremely rare on Earth, which makes Zhonghua Green highly sought after in both domestic and international markets. Countries in Europe, America, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and regions such as Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are eager to import it. During the annual Autumn Canton Fair, Zhonghua Green becomes a hot topic for discussion between foreign buyers and domestic manufacturers. The Qing Dynasty record *Dengxi Ye Lu* by Miyi’s He Dongming mentions the discovery of “nushi” (a type of stone). However, due to the Qing court’s suppression of “excessive craftsmanship,” Zhonghua Green remained dormant for a long time. In the late 1970s, the national project “Panxi Rift Valley” was launched. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and engineers such as Wang Mingkun from Sichuan Provincial Geological Team 106 discovered unique rock formations in the new grassland volcano during fieldwork. Instead of treating it as an “extra burden,” they pursued follow-up surveys and subsequently found similar quality rock bodies in areas such as Huangcao. With investment from then well-known local entrepreneur Hu Qianyi, samples of 70X40mm polished stone were sent for testing and recognized for their significant development potential by officials from the provincial building materials bureau, as well as by Zhang Guangyi, chief engineer and stone expert at Huaxin Company, a Sino-foreign joint venture in Southwest China. As a result, some farmers who initially didn’t recognize its value rushed to mine rough blocks using picks and hammers in the mountains. The county started with just 300 yuan in initial funding and identified several mining sites: Laoxionggou and Niumachang in Huangcao, Xinhuo Shan in Caochang, and Tangjiawan and Xienshanzui in towns such as Baima, Guabang, and Shaba. The mining area stretches from Jianzishan Mountain in the north to Hongshiya Cliff in the south, from Caochang in the west to Qinggangping in the east. The currently mined sites alone have estimated reserves of 4.17 million cubic meters. The ore body is composed of hornblende pyroxene normal rock, featuring varieties such as deep dark green, dark green, and light dark green. Zhonghua Green has begun to make its mark, with 80% of its products being exported to parts of Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. By 1992, its output value had reached over 15 million yuan. Zhonghua Green has written a splendid new chapter in the history of the Panxi Rift Valley in China’s southwestern inland region. (Panzhihua)