Wanshan Mine
Wanshan (万山汞矿) in Guizhou was historically the "Mercury Capital of China," one of the country's largest mercury (cinnabar) districts. It is a classic source of bright red cinnabar crystals on dolomite.
About Wanshan Mineextended article
The "Mercury Capital of China"
The Wanshan district near Tongren in eastern Guizhou is one of the largest mercury deposits in China, worked since antiquity for cinnabar (mercury sulfide). Mining at scale has long since wound down — the district is now preserved in part as a national mine park — but Wanshan remains a classic name for collectable cinnabar.
What Wanshan is known for
- Cinnabar — bright red crystals, twins, and crusts
- Cinnabar on white dolomite and quartz matrix
- Associated dolomite and quartz
Collector value
Sharp, deeply coloured cinnabar crystals — particularly twinned crystals and well-contrasted pieces on pale dolomite — are the most desirable. As the historic workings are no longer producing at scale, fine older specimens with documented provenance are valued accordingly.