Gejiu — Travel Guide
Gejiu is a county-level city and the former capital of Honghe prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. It is the site of the country's largest tin deposits and its main industry is mining. Gejiu is located on top of a mountain to the north of the Red River (pinyin Hong He) valley, which flows from Yunnan, Dali prefecture to Vietnam. To the south-west in this valley is Nansha, which lies directly below the town of Yuanyang. To the north-west lies Jianshui, and to the north Jijie. Mengzi lies 12 miles to the East. Originally a small mining settlement Gejiu was called Gejiuli. Under the Yuan (1206–1368) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties the mining of silver was begun there. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, mining in Yunnan boomed, but tin mining in Gejiu did not develop until the second half of the 18th century. In the 1880s the city was created a subprefecture under Mengzi County, about 30 km to the east.
The best time to visit October to March.
Gejiu is well connected by road, rail, and air from major cities.
Gejiu is the largest tin producer and exporter in Yunnan and even China; it is regarded as the "Tin Capital of China". With pure tin as raw materials, Gejiu tin handicrafts are produced through many special working procedures, such as smelting, pressing, cutting, cleaning, welding, polishing, decorating and carving. The tin handicrafts are acid-proof, alkali-resisting, and nonpoisonous, without smell.
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