Ma On Shan Iron Mine

The Ma On Shan Iron Mine (Chinese: 馬鞍山鐵礦) is a mine in the hills of Ma On Shan, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong, that was operated from 1906 to 1976. The nearby Ma On Shan Village accommodated the miners and their families.

Exterior walls of 240 ML of Ma On Shan Iron Mine in 2005.
Exterior walls of 110 ML of Ma On Shan Iron Mine in 2010.
Mining equipment displayed in Ma On Shan Park, in Ma On Shan new town.

History

The Ma On Shan Iron Mine opened in 1906 as an opencast site run by the Hong Kong Iron Mining Co. Ltd., which was owned by Sir Paul Chater.[1] In 1949, the mine was taken over by the Mutual Mining and Trade Company, which extended it underground in 1953.[2] By 1959, mining had moved entirely underground. The mine ceased operation in 1976.[3] The workforce of 400 was laid off. The government mining lease ended in 1981 and the mine closed subsequently.[2][4]

Mine operators

Historical operators of the mine:[5]

  • 1906-1929: The Hong Kong Iron Mining Co. Ltd. (香港鐵礦公司)
  • 1931-1940: New Territories Iron Company
  • 1940-1941: South China Iron Smelters Co. Ltd (華南製鐵有限公司)
  • 1942-1945: (Japanese occupation of Hong Kong)
  • 1945-1948: Possibly small scale excavation by South China Iron Smelters Co. Ltd
  • 1949-1976: Mutual Trust Co. Ltd (大公洋行)
  • 1953-1976: Joint venture between Mutual Trust Co. Ltd and Nittetsu Mining Company (Japan) (日本鐵礦業株式會社)

Present and future

It has been suggested that the Ma On Shan Iron Mine could be repurposed as a storage location for compressed-air energy storage (CAES).[6]

Several sets of structures of the Ma On Shan Iron Mine were listed as historic monuments in April 2016: Exterior walls of 240 ML and 110 ML of Ma On Shan Iron Mine (Grade 2), Mineral Preparation Plant of Ma On Shan Iron Mine (Grade 3), Site Structures at Mining Settlement of Ma On Shan Iron Mine (Grade 3).[7]

See also

References
  1. Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal: Mineral Preparation Plant, Ma On Shan Iron Mine
  2. Kao, Ernest (5 May 2014). "Hong Kong's forgotten mining past emerges from the darkness". South China Morning Post.
  3. Antiquities Advisory Board. Historic Building Appraisal: Lutheran Yan Kwong Church, Ma On Shan Tsuen Road
  4. CEDD: Economic Geology - Minerals and Mining in Hong Kong
  5. Chan, Hiu-yu (2017). The church, the mine and the people : discovering the social significance of the Yan Kwong Lutheran Church at the former iron mine village of Ma On Shan (Thesis). University of Hong Kong.
  6. Hoang, Long; Nakka, Dhesant (2013). Investigating the feasibility of implementing energy storage schemes in Hong Kong (ENGG 1110 - 1st Challenge Report. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology).
  7. Antiquities Advisory Board. List of new items for grading assessment with assessment results

Further reading
  • Exterior walls of 240 ML and 110 ML, Ma On Shan Iron Mine: Historic Appraisal Pictures
  • Mineral Preparation Plant, Ma On Shan Iron Mine: Historic Appraisal Pictures
  • Site Structures at Mining Settlement, Ma On Shan Iron Mine: Historic Appraisal Pictures
  • Industrial History of Hong Kong entries:
  • Information from The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong:
  • Gwulo.com entry:
  • Zolimag entry:
  • Pictures:


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