The transformation and development plan has been reviewed and approved by the provincial government. In the future, the machinery industry will be upgraded and transformed, and the ecological tourism industry will be developeddataSpeaking of exhaustion, all coal mining enterprises were closed in 2005.

The proven reserves of iron ore are 116.67 million tons, and the remaining recoverable reserves are 6.24 million tons, with a recoverable period of only 2 to 3 years.

　　Lead ZincThe proven reserves of the mine are 9.44 million tons, and the remaining recoverable reserves are 1.41 million tons, with a recoverable period of less than 8 years.

As a traditional industrial base in Guangdong, Shaoguan is facing a situation where resources such as coal mines, iron mines, and lead-zinc mines are on the brink of depletion. Yesterday, it was learned from relevant departments in Shaoguan City that the Guangdong Provincial Government recently reviewed and approved in principle the "Shaoguan City Resource Exhausted City Transformation and Development Plan", proposing that Shaoguan should explore a unique path for the transformation and development of resource depleted cities.

Coal, iron, lead and zinc mines are on the brink of depletion

According to history, Shaoguan is one of the regions in Guangdong province with abundant mineral resources. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shaoguan has served as a fundamental energy source and important raw material for GuangdongsupplyLand has provided a total of 140 million tons of coal, over 65 million tons of iron ore, and 10 types of coalcoloredThe total amount of metals exceeds 4 million tons. During the peak periods of coal, steel, and iron production in Shaoguan, they accounted for 68%, 45.7%, and 80.4% of Guangdong's total output, respectively.

But after years of mining, Shaoguan's coal mines, iron mines, and lead-zinc mines are on the brink of depletion. In November 2011, the State Council approved a total of 25 cities in three batches of resource depleted cities, including Shaoguan, becoming the * national resource depleted city in Guangdong Province.

Exhaustion brings heavy burdens

With the depletion of resources, problems gradually emerge. The inherent development of a large number of resource-based industries in Shaoguan has shrunk, and the proportion of industrial added value of large and medium-sized resource-based enterprises in Shaoguan's industrial added value has plummeted from 75% in the 1980s to around 50%.

In 2005, after Shaoguan withdrew from the coal production industry, more than 50000 people in the coal and related industries in Shaoguan, an important coal production base in Guangdong, lost their jobs. All thermal power plants relied on transporting or importing coal from other places. The external dependence on mineral resources of enterprises such as Shaoguan Smelter and Steel Plant once exceeded 60%.

The extensive exploitation of resources over the years has also led to the arduous task of ecological environment restoration and governance. A large amount of coal gangue and tailings are piled up in disorder, with over 20000 acres of polluted farmland, and geological disasters occur from time to time.

After various large industrial and mining enterprises stopped production, historical problems became serious. Since 2002, Shaoguan has successively closed three mining bureaus and multiple enterprises in Quren, Coalfield, and Pingshi, carrying heavy historical burdens such as enterprise closure, employee relocation, and living area renovation. Among them, only the Quren Mine shantytown covers an area of 500000 square meters, with over 50000 residents and about 14000 households urgently in need of renovation.

Transformation: Manufacturing, Agricultural Product Processing, and Ecotourism

To solve the problems caused by resource depletion and explore the path of "rebirth" in the transformation of old industrial cities, Shaoguan has formulated the "Shaoguan City Resource Exhausted City Transformation and Development Plan" based on long-term research, which serves as the action plan for the city's transformation and development.

After passing the initial review by the National Development and Reform Commission, the plan was recently approved in principle by the provincial government. The plan proposes that Shaoguan aims to build a central city in northern Guangdong and promote the revitalization and green development of old industrial bases.

It is reported that Shaoguan will take advantage of the strong industrial foundation of steel, non-ferrous metals and other industries in Guangdong's old industrial base to upgrade and transform the mechanical industries such as hydraulic parts, mining machinery, castings and forgings, and build multiple specialized mechanical manufacturing parks such as the Dongguan Shaoguan Industrial Transfer Park, promoting the "dual transformation" of industry and city. Shaoguan will eventually become a supporting industrial base for manufacturing in the Pearl River Delta region, a headquarters economic base for mechanical equipment manufacturing in Guangdong Province, an agricultural product processing base, and an ecological tourism and leisure vacation base.

To solve a large number of historical problems caused by resource depletion, Shaoguan has implemented a key public welfare project - the renovation of the shantytown of Quren Mine, a former major coal enterprise in Guangdong. At present, nearly 6000 resettlement houses have been constructed, of which about 90% have been capped and will be fully completed and occupied by 2015.

Shaoguan will also build a regional transportation hub and accelerate the construction of expressways, railways, airports, and inland waterways. At present, transportation arteries such as Guangle, Daguang Expressway, and Ganshao Railway are being intensively constructed, and Shaoguan will become a gateway city in Lingnan that connects with the Pearl River Delta and serves Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi.