Guiyang turns old mines into thriving farms

A chili field in Qingzhen, Guiyang. [Photo/Guizhou Daily]

Farmers in the Lishuya Mine Ecological Restoration Area of Maige township, Qingzhen city, Guiyang, are out in the fields, pulling bundles of chili seedlings piled on tricycles, only stopping to press them into the soil. Once a landscape of barren pits and scattered rocks, the area has now transformed into flourishing vegetable and fruit gardens.

The 2025 summer harvest marked the success of this initiative, with crops such as chili peppers, potatoes, winter melon, and watermelon thriving on reclaimed land. Villager Chen Yinqin smiled, "This area used to be full of mining pits. Last year, we planted vegetables and fruits, and they all grew very well."

Instead of using traditional imported topsoil, Guizhou Shunhe Yintai Mining Co improved tailings from mining operations by mixing them with functional organic fertilizers and applying microbial and plant-based remediation techniques. After a year of trials, the formerly infertile land became arable, even supporting a rice demonstration field.

Over 38 metric tons of produce were harvested in 2025, generating nearly 800,000 yuan ($112,000), with surplus crops supplied to local company cafeterias and sold in nearby wholesale markets. Across Guiyang, similar projects are integrating ecological restoration with land development and industry, turning environmental rehabilitation into sustainable economic and community benefits.