Chronicle of Lin Ma Hang Mine — “Three Raids on Lin Ma Hang Mine” (Lin Ma Hang Mine – “Three Raids at Lin Ma Hang Mine”) Lin Ma Hang was once home to Hong Kong’s largest lead mine, with mining records dating back to the early 19th century, producing minerals such as lead and silver. It reached its peak prosperity during the 1930s and 1940s, employing up to 2,000 miners at its height. During World War II, the occupying Japanese forces inspected Hong Kong’s industrial facilities and discovered that the Lin Ma Hang Mine produced galena, which was a vital strategic material at the time. Consequently, the Japanese military seized control of the mine and forced nearby villagers into hard labor. To resist the Japanese forces, the villagers fought back, and anti-Japanese villagers from Lin Ma Hang Village teamed up with guerrilla forces to attack the Japanese troops and sabotage the mining facilities. Ultimately, they successfully repelled the Japanese forces and halted the mine’s operations during their third operation. This chapter of wartime resistance became known as the “Three Raids on Lin Ma Hang Mine.” Following WWII, the severely damaged mine suffered further from natural disasters and drops in international lead prices, gradually sliding into decline before completely shutting down in the 1960s, remaining abandoned to this day.
