The Ma On Shan Iron Mine () is a mine in the hills of
Ma On Shan
Ma On Shan may refer to:
* Ma On Shan (peak) ( zh, t=馬鞍山, s=马鞍山, l=saddle peak, links=no), a mountain in the New Territories of Hong Kong
* Ma On Shan (town), a New Town in the New Territories on the foot of Ma On Shan mountain
* Ma On ...
,
Sha Tin District
Sha Tin District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. As one of the 9 districts located in the New Territories, it covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Ma On Shan, Fo Tan, Siu Lek Yuen, and Ma Liu Shui. The district is the most populo ...
, Hong Kong, that was operated from 1906 to 1976. The nearby
Ma On Shan Village
Ma On Shan Village or Ma On Shan Tsuen () is a mining village in the hills of Ma On Shan, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong. The village grew around the activity of the Ma On Shan Iron Mine, which reached its peak during the 1950s-60s and ceased o ...
accommodated the miners and their families.
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
Sir Catchick Paul Chater ( hy, Փոլ Չաթեր; ; 8 September 1846 – 27 May 1926) was a prominent British businessman of Armenian descent in colonial Hong Kong, whose family roots were in Calcutta, India.
Biography
Early life
Chater was ...
. In 1949, the mine was taken over by the Mutual Mining and Trade Company, which extended it underground in 1953.
By 1959, mining had moved entirely underground. The mine ceased operation in 1976.
Antiquities Advisory Board
The Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) is a statutory body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the responsibility of advising the Antiquities Authority on any matters relating to antiquities and monuments. The AAB was establish ...
. Historic Building Appraisal
Lutheran Yan Kwong Church, Ma On Shan Tsuen Road
/ref> The workforce of 400 was laid off. The government mining lease ended in 1981 and the mine closed subsequently.CEDD
Cedd ( la, Cedda, Ceddus; 620 – 26 October 664) was an Anglo-Saxon monk and bishop from the Kingdom of Northumbria. He was an evangelist of the Middle Angles and East Saxons in England and a significant participant in the Synod of Whitby, a ...
Economic Geology - Minerals and Mining in Hong Kong
/ref>
Mine operators
Historical operators of the mine:
* 1906-1929: The Hong Kong Iron Mining Co. Ltd. ()
* 1931-1940: New Territories Iron Company
* 1940-1941: South China Iron Smelters Co. Ltd ()
* 1942-1945: (Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Imperial Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when the Governor of Hong Kong, Mark Aitchison Young, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the British Crown colony of British Hong Kong, Hong Kong to the Empire of Japan on 25 December 1941. The surr ...
)
* 1945-1948: Possibly small scale excavation by South China Iron Smelters Co. Ltd
* 1949-1976: Mutual Trust Co. Ltd ()
* 1953-1976: Joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...
between Mutual Trust Co. Ltd and Nittetsu Mining Company (Japan) ()
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
Compressed-air energy storage (CAES) is a way to store energy for later use using compressed air. At a utility scale, energy generated during periods of low demand can be released during peak load periods.Wild, Matthew, LWind Drives Growing Use ...
(CAES).
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).Antiquities Advisory Board
The Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) is a statutory body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the responsibility of advising the Antiquities Authority on any matters relating to antiquities and monuments. The AAB was establish ...
List of new items for grading assessment with assessment results
/ref>
See also
* Mining in Hong Kong
Mining in Hong Kong refers to mining activities in Hong Kong. Despite its small size, Hong Kong has a relatively large number of mineral deposits. Although some have been mined commercially, there are currently no commercial mining operation ...
* Geology of Hong Kong
The geology of Hong Kong is dominated by igneous rocks (including granitic rocks and volcanic rocks) formed during a major volcanic eruption period in the Mesozoic era. It made up 85% of Hong Kong's land surface and the remaining 15% are mostly ...
* Ma On Shan (peak)
Ma On Shan (; literally: Horse Saddle Peak) is a saddle-shaped peak in east of Tolo Harbour in the New Territories of Hong Kong. With a height of 702 metres (2,303 ft), it stands among the ten highest mountains in Hong Kong. The mountain bo ...
* Ma On Shan Country Park
Ma On Shan Country Park () is a park located in the central neck of the Sai Kung Peninsula in the eastern New Territories of Hong Kong. The park covers an area of and links Sai Kung Country Park and Lion Rock Country Park to form an extensive ...
, surrounding the mine area
References
Further reading
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External links
* Exterior walls of 240 ML and 110 ML, Ma On Shan Iron Mine
Historic AppraisalPictures
* Mineral Preparation Plant, Ma On Shan Iron Mine
Historic AppraisalPictures
* Site Structures at Mining Settlement, Ma On Shan Iron Mine
Historic AppraisalPictures
* Industrial History of Hong Kong entries
* Information from The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong
* Gwulo.com entry
* Zolimag entry
* Pictures
Iron mines in China
Ma On Shan
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