On the southern slopes of the Wula Mountains, the roar of drilling rigs awakens a slumbering valley. For the past three years, at an altitude of 1,700 meters in the Hadamen Valley mining area of Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Yang Biao—head of the Gold Deposit Evaluation Project at the Hohhot Center for Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey, China Geological Survey—has led a team of technical experts and geology interns in relentless exploration.

The Hadamen gold deposit is a major super-large gold orebody within the Wula–Daqing Mountains metallogenic belt. Over decades, Yang Biao and his predecessors have surveyed more than 300 mineral deposits and occurrences in this region, identified eight mineralized vein clusters and over 70 gold-bearing veins, and collectively delineated more than 100 tonnes of proven national gold resources.

In 1980, geologist Wang Shouli discovered a gold-bearing quartz vein in a mountain stream, unveiling the first glimpse of this super-large deposit. More than 40 years later, his student Yang Biao now stands at the exact coordinate of the historic “Vein No. 100,” directing a drill rig to penetrate 1,000 meters underground.

On the drilling platform, a 20-meter-tall derrick rumbles so loudly it vibrates the eardrums. Yang Biao shouts into the ear of drilling foreman Wang Jiangling: “Coordinates must be accurate to the centimeter!” In Hadamen, gold veins snake like dragons deep beneath the earth—how can prospectors precisely capture these “golden veins”?

“A millimeter’s error could mean missing the vein entirely,” Yang insists with near-obsessive precision. His rigor has paid off: of the 106 boreholes drilled in the Vein No. 100 area, 86 intersected ore—yielding a discovery rate far exceeding industry averages.

China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) emphasizes strengthening strategic mineral resource planning and security, launching a New Round of Strategic Mineral Exploration Breakthrough Initiative. “During the 14th Five-Year period, our center has completed over 14,000 meters of drilling in Hadamen, identifying more than 10 tonnes of additional gold resources,” said Yang Zhigang, Party Secretary of the Hohhot Center.

Running his fingers over a core box filled with metallic-gleaming specimens, Yang Biao explains to reporters: “Each drill hole can cost over one million yuan—we must hit the bullseye with pinpoint accuracy.” To boost success rates, his team climbs every hillside repeatedly, cross-checking maps and survey instruments. “Behind every gold discovery lie hundreds of field surveys and thousands of data analyses,” he says.

Drilling through fractured rock formations to trace gold veins is no easy task. “It’s like using a straw to pick up sesame seeds from tofu—one slight deviation adds over 100,000 yuan in costs,” says Wang Jiangling, pointing to a drill rod scarred by wear. Faced with a core recovery rate below 60%, the team pioneered a “dual-tube directional drilling + foam wall protection” technique, boosting recovery to 92%. This innovation has since been incorporated into China’s Technical Specification for Deep Rock-Hosted Gold Exploration and rolled out across 25 key mining districts.

In the metallogenic belt modeling lab, a 3D geological model updates exploration data in real time. “This is the prospector’s ‘digital compass,’” says Zhang Xiao, an intern from China University of Geosciences, demonstrating a geophysical inversion system. By integrating gravity, magnetic, and electrical survey methods, the team has overcome drilling challenges in complex, fractured strata, extending exploration depth to 1,500 meters underground. A national gold deposit map on the wall highlights the Wula–Daqing belt—now a critical pillar of China’s strategic gold reserves.

As night falls, camp lights twinkle like stars. Li Yuan, a technician in her 90s, performs final spectral analysis. “Gold reserves are vital to national financial security,” she says. “Every extra gram we find strengthens our nation’s foundation.” Recent data shows remarkable progress in deep exploration: under the New Round initiative, just three sites—Anbali North in Gansu, Hadamen in Inner Mongolia, and Baoxinggou in Heilongjiang—have added 168 tonnes of gold resources.

After the last shift change, Yang Biao instinctively reaches for his hearing aid—a “badge of honor” earned from years exposed to 110-decibel drilling noise. From participating in the “Deep Exploration and Blind Deposit Detection” national R&D program to now leading breakthroughs in deep mining, this 1980s-born engineer has lost 40 decibels of hearing sensitivity. “A geologist’s ears may not hear whispers,” he jokes to his interns, “but they understand the language of the Earth.”

The numbers tell the story of their dedication:

• 58,000 meters of cumulative core drilling

• 22 ore-intersecting holes confirmed below 700 meters

• A pioneering “air–ground–borehole” 3D exploration system that has extended effective prospecting depth from 300 meters to 1,500 meters

Sidebar: New Round of Strategic Mineral Exploration Breakthrough Initiative Gains Momentum

Mining is a foundational industry for socioeconomic development, and mineral resource exploration directly impacts national livelihood and security. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China launched a New Round of Strategic Mineral Exploration Breakthrough Initiative, investing nearly RMB 450 billion and achieving significant results. The country has comprehensively assessed the quantity, distribution, and utilization status of 163 minerals with proven reserves, with major breakthroughs in strategic resources such as oil and gas, copper, and lithium.

China possesses abundant gold resources, primarily concentrated in Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Henan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. Key producing regions include the Jiaodong Peninsula (Shandong), Xiaoqinling (Henan), Qinling Mountains (Shaanxi), and Ailao Mountains (Yunnan). From the 1950s to 1970s, exploration relied on geological mapping and surface sampling, leading to the discovery of several large gold deposits. In the 1980s–1990s, technological advances enabled deeper and more precise exploration, uncovering hidden deposits. In the 21st century, modern techniques have revolutionized the field, yielding significant success in deep and complex geological settings.

Established mining bases are being revitalized—Shandong’s Jiaodong region has seen substantial reserve additions—while new hubs are emerging, such as the Dadonggou gold deposit in Liaoning, which may become another world-class resource. China’s gold exploration has evolved from traditional methods to cutting-edge technologies and will continue advancing toward deep mining, green exploration, and intelligent prospecting.