Doesn’t the name Silvermine Bay intrigue you? It hints at a hidden history. We are standing in Mui Wo. This rural town was once the site of a silver mine.
Mui Wo’s history is linked to silver. The Mui Wo Silver Mine operated from 1886 to 1896. Mr. Ho A Mei, a Hong Kong entrepreneur, owned it. He aimed to modernize Chinese mining.
Galena was extracted from the hills. Galena is a mineral containing lead and silver. A 900m aerial ropeway transported the ore. It went to a processing plant on the coast. A wooden pier allowed access to ships. Mineral ore from Mainland China was also processed here.
The Mui Wo Silver Mine processing facility was state-of-the-art. Cornish miners operated it. They used British technology. The plant had rock crushers and smelting furnaces. A materials laboratory was also on site. Steam engines powered everything.
The facility was housed in a steel structure. It was 73m long and clad in iron sheeting. Galena ore was crushed into a fine material. Heavier minerals were separated. The ore was heated to 1,450°C to 2,000°C. This melted the ore and burned off the sulphur.
The process produced poisonous fumes. Sulphur dioxide and vaporized lead were created. A large flue carried the fumes to a chimney. The chimney stood 30m above the plant. The chimney was a navigational landmark.
A 1905 account described the facility. Eight furnaces were connected to a chimney. The chimney was sixty feet high. Ruins of the processing plant were visible. The cemented floor served local peasants. They used it to dry rice and fish.
The Mui Wo Silver Mine chimney’s location was carefully surveyed. It was an identifiable feature for marine navigation. The chimney was about 15m tall. It had a 7m diameter base.
Little evidence survives today. Aerial photos from 1924 and 1963 show no major structures. Two small buildings appeared in 1924. They may have been abandoned industrial buildings. By 1963, footpaths and residential development appeared.
The Mui Wo Silver Mine represents China’s industrialization. It combined modern technology with Chinese finance. This aimed to open China to the world.
Mr. Ho A Mei was born in 1838. He moved to Hong Kong for schooling. He learned English and joined the Royal Navy. Later, he invested in Australian mining companies. This gave him mining knowledge.
Mr. Ho returned to Hong Kong. He became involved in local politics. He also developed the Mui Wo silver mine. He saw mining as an opportunity for China. He wanted to stimulate further development like railways and factories.
The Mui Wo silver mine officially opened on March 28, 1886. Guests witnessed the first blast. Development took 12 months due to difficult conditions.
The mine used a hydraulic system for water management. A wire tramway transported ore to the processing plant. The plant had dressing equipment and smelting equipment. It processed 40 tonnes of ore a day.
The ore was crushed and separated. It was then heated to extract silver. Fumes were carried away by a flue to the chimney.
The Mui Wo silver mine closed around 1896. The price of silver declined. Official interference also contributed. The plant and equipment were abandoned. Nature reclaimed the site. Only the cement floor remained.
Today, Mui Wo is a quiet town. The Silvermine Bay Beach and Waterfall attract visitors. But beneath the surface lies a rich industrial history. It tells a tale of ambition, innovation, and the pursuit of silver.