A Glimpse of Gejiu

We stayed at Bisezhai for three hours in the morning and drove to Gejiu City in the afternoon, a journey of about 50 kilometers. The reason we wanted to go to Gejiu was to see if this once tin-rich city, now resource-depleted, had undergone a significant transformation, reborn like a phoenix into a livable place. Our first thought was to visit the Gejiu City Museum, where we could conveniently obtain comprehensive information. Strangely, the rather large Gejiu Museum did not have a sign, so much so that we were already in front of the building and still asking people for its location. The museum's exhibits mainly focus on two themes: 'A Millennium of Tin' and 'Exploring Ancient Ben'. Gejiu, as the Tin Capital, has a history of a thousand years, and Ben Gu was the ancient name during the Western Han Dynasty when counties were established in the Gejiu and Mengzi areas. Surprisingly, this county-level museum houses four national first-class cultural relics, including a Han Dynasty bronze peacock lamp and a bronze kettle with a handle, eight second-class relics, and 128 third-class relics, which is quite impressive. Next to the museum is Jinhu Cultural Square, transformed from a tailings pond, covering an area of 8.22 hectares, backed by Laoyin Mountain and facing Jinhu Lake. The square's landmarks include the stone sculpture of Hong Wang (the ancestor of tin mining in Gejiu), a 4-ton relief 'Treasure Tripod of Tin Mountain,' and two 6.23-meter-high, 2-ton relief auspicious tin pillars 'White Ape Offering Treasure' and 'Golden Snake Showing Wealth.' Gejiu City is surrounded by mountains, with the city encircling the lake, enjoying spring-like weather all year round. Without large-scale tin industry and pollution, it is said that housing prices and living costs are very affordable, making it indeed suitable for living. We only planned a brief stay in Gejiu that day, but we might visit again in the future to explore Laoyin Mountain Scenic Area, Baohua Mountain Park, or even stay longer to enjoy life there.