Qingjian Slate

Qingjian Slate

　　Qingjian is known as China’s “hometown of jujubes,” “hometown of Daoqing opera,” and “hometown of slate.” The folk rhyme “Qingjian’s slate, Wayaobao’s coal” has made Qingjian slate famous far and wide. The county boasts abundant stone resources, with hard rock covering approximately 58 square kilometers along the Yellow River, Wuding River, and Qingjian River basins, averaging a thickness of 10 meters and an estimated reserve of 580 million cubic meters. In recent years, influenced by stone enterprises such as Xinlei and Huoxing, and driven by government funding, over 10 new processing businesses have emerged, bringing the stone processing industry to a preliminary scale. Last year, the industry achieved an output value of 20 million yuan and created job transfers for more than 300 people. This year, stone development continues to be listed as a key construction project. With the investment, new projects including an 8,000-ton rock production line and a 12,000-ton decorative stone production line have been launched. Key support is being given to processing enterprises such as Xinlei, Riyuexing, and Tianfang to develop new stone craft products. The goal is to guide companies to expand their scale, diversify their product range, and extend into areas such as carving, decoration, and high-end household stone items—further broadening the market and improving economic returns, making the stone industry a leading sector in driving the county’s economy.

　　Focusing on building a major stone-producing county and creating well-known brands, the strategy is to pursue decentralized mining, centralized processing and finishing, and branded sales. The aim is to expand scale, diversify product types, enhance technological content, and boost economic returns—striving to mine 60,000 cubic meters of rough stone and process 40,000 cubic meters of finished stone products annually.

　　Stone is a competitive resource for Qingjian County. Since ancient times, “Qingjian slate” has enjoyed a fine reputation. To transform stone resources into a new growth pole for the local economy, Qingjian County has relied on technology to research and assess its stone resources throughout the region. It has identified the attributes and conditions of these resources and proposed specific plans to maximize their development. Given the non-toxic, non-radioactive, high-quality, and ultra-fine characteristics of Qingjian stone, the county has introduced advanced equipment and hired professionals, focusing stone development on producing indoor and outdoor decorative materials, construction materials, and eco-friendly stone products. Through refined processing, stone products have seen significant improvements in quality and value compared to raw stone. On this basis, Qingjian County has also developed stone handicrafts as premium gift items. This approach not only maximizes resource utilization but also elevates the cultural value of the stone industry. Nowadays, the market for Qingjian’s stone materials and handicrafts is gradually expanding, and the stone industry is becoming a new highlight of Qingjian’s economy.