Zhaoyuan gold mining town [Photo/Yantai Travel Network]

Yantai, a city of gold, has been recognized as the “Top Gold Producer in China” for 39 consecutive years. Endowed with rich gold resources, Yantai is honored as the “Hometown of Gold”. Its gold reserve takes up one-fourth of China’s total.

Among its 12 counties, 11 counties have discovered gold mines and eight of them have begun to exploit gold.

Yantai has developed a comprehensive gold industrial system, involving gold exploration, measurement, mining, selecting, refining, gold accessory manufacturing, mine designing, and machine manufacturing and maintenance. In addition, it has built a string of metallurgical plants and gold processing factories.

Yantai is one of the first gold producers in China. It was recorded to become a major gold producer during the Tang (AD618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.

Yantai government is encouraging gold mines to shift their focus from blind mining to balanced mining and processing, to new commercial business cooperation models, to expansion of development channels for gold and silver products; to extension of industrial chains; and to development of new growth potential for the gold economy.

The local government is striving to build a professional wholesale market for gold and silver jewelries as well as a comprehensive gold and silver jewelry mall that integrates raw gold material trade, and jewelry processing, authentication and auction. It aims to attracting investment in China and abroad.

Zhaoyuan holds gold festival each year to promote gold culture.