Bong Mieu Gold Mine

Useful Information

Location:	35 kilometers southwest of Tam Ky Town, not far from Hoi An ancient town. Phu Ninh district, Quang Nam province.
Open:	not yet open [2006]
Fee:	not yet open [2006]
Classification:	Gold Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
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As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

14th century	mine opened by the Nguyen Dynasty kings.
1890's	a dedicated road to link Tam Ky to Bong Mieu built by a French company, mining boosted.
2007	scheduled opening as a show mine.

Description

The Bong Mieu Gold Mine was mined for a very long time. First by the Chinese, then Vietnamese, and then French. Today the mine remains productive and is mined by the Bong Mieu Gold company.

The planned tour will show a part of the still operational mine. It will explain the various techniques used since the beginning to mine and process the precious metal. Visitors can also catch a glimpse of a modern gold-processing line and see the vault where the gold is stored after processing.

The Quang Nam Province Tourism Department wants to create this show mine by 2007. They plan a tourist destination for domestic and foreign travelers. But the department's director, Dinh Hai, admitted that there were still many problems. Obviously the possibility to see ongoing gold processing is unique, but it is also subject to various security problems.