Hong Kong's forgotten mining past emerges from the darkness
Church at centre of Ma On Shan mining village seeks historical listing - and plans HK$10 million project to preserve its culture and heritage
A near-forgotten slice of Hong Kong's history came back to life yesterday as about 60 residents of a former mining village in Ma On Shan gathered for a reunion in their old village church.
Though Hong Kong's past as a manufacturing powerhouse is well-documented, the light of publicity has shone less brightly on its iron mining industry, which at its peak employed 6,000 workers in often-perilous conditions and produced 98,000 tonnes of iron ore each year.
Yet the industry produced more than just iron ore; it forged lifelong friendships among the workers and gave rise to a close-knit Lutheran community high in the hills of Ma On Shan.
"It was dangerous work, but all of us were like brothers," said Lee Kiu-sui, 67, a former demolitions expert who grew up in the village and worked the underground mineshafts from 1970 to their closure in 1976.
He recalled a huge controlled demolition that trapped two miners in a mineshaft.
"Every single miner started digging and we eventually worked all day to get the two out safely," said Lee, who went on to become a freelance tunneller for the MTR.