CHINA FIELD ATLAS
China Rockhounding & Metal Detecting Map
Explore a research-led China gemstone and mineral map together with a separate metal-detecting research map. The rockhounding layer covers jade, turquoise, sapphire, agate, quartz, fluorite, stibnite, tungsten, tin, copper and ornamental-stone districts across major provinces and autonomous regions. The detector map keeps modern recreation contexts separate from protected cultural-relic and archaeological no-go sites.
Rockhounding in China: Gemstone & Mineral Map
The China rockhounding map is a geological and mineral-locality research tool. It includes classic jade and gemstone areas such as Hotan/Hetian, Xiuyan, Dushan, Lantian, Zhushan turquoise, Changle sapphire, Donghai crystal, Shoushan stone and Qingtian stone, alongside major mineral districts such as Chenzhou, Dexing, Ganzhou, Gejiu, Panzhihua, Baiyin, Chagai-like metallogenic analogues within China, and many other provincial resource belts. Most points are Research / Approximate because a published town, county, valley or mine district is not equivalent to a public collecting access point.
Metal Detecting in China: Research & Permission Map
This map separates modern-loss research contexts from red Protected / No-Go cultural-relic markers. Beaches and recreation areas are marked Conditional rather than Ready because local management, property control, digging rules and environmental restrictions can vary. Major archaeological and historic sites are included only to make the boundary clear and help prevent accidental targeting.
Rockhounding Near Me in China & Metal Detecting Near Me
If you are searching for rockhounding near me or metal detecting near me while in China, use the Near Me control on the appropriate map above. It ranks the mapped research records by distance from your device location. Proximity is never treated as collecting or detecting permission: mineral rights, land access, scenic-area rules and cultural-relic restrictions still control.
China Rockhounding Region Guides
Xinjiang
Southern Xinjiang is the classic Hetian-jade region, while Altay and Koktokay are major pegmatite and quartz districts. Hami is associated with Gobi agate and chalcedony. These are mineral-resource districts, not automatic public collecting grounds; active mines and mineral-right areas must be respected.
Qinghai & Tibetan Plateau
Golmud and the Kunlun region are associated with nephrite commonly called Kunlun jade. The Qilian belt also contains ornamental and industrial minerals. High-altitude travel, protected areas and remote access create additional constraints.
Liaoning & Northeast
Xiuyan is famous for Xiuyan jade, Fuxin for agate, and northern Heilongjiang for agate localities such as Xunke. Jilin’s Changbai/Songhua region is associated with ornamental stone. Mine and quarry access remains controlled.
Hubei, Henan & Shaanxi
Zhushan/Shiyan is an important turquoise region; Nanyang is the home region of Dushan jade; Lantian is famous for Lantian jade. East Qinling also hosts important quartz and metallogenic belts. These are research markers, not claims of hobby collecting permission.
Fujian & Zhejiang
Shoushan in Fuzhou is the unique origin region of Shoushan stone and has historic mine caves; Qingtian is associated with pyrophyllite/Qingtian stone; Changhua is famous for cinnabar-bearing chicken-blood stone. Historic mines and quarry areas require operator/authority permission.
Hunan, Jiangxi & South China
Hunan contains nationally important fluorite, antimony, tungsten and bismuth resources, including Chenzhou and Xikuangshan. Jiangxi contains Dexing copper and the classic tungsten/rare-earth districts of Ganzhou and Dayu. These are industrial mineral districts, not recreational open digs.
Yunnan, Guizhou & Sichuan
Gejiu is a classic tin district; Longling is associated with yellow ornamental stone; Wanshan is a famous cinnabar district; western Sichuan contains pegmatite belts and Panzhihua is a major vanadium-titanium magnetite district.
Inner Mongolia, Gansu & Ningxia
Alxa is known for Gobi agate, Chifeng/Bairin for Balin stone, Baiyin for polymetallic mining and the Helan Mountains for traditional ornamental stone. Desert travel and land/mineral-right controls require careful planning.
Shandong, Jiangsu & Anhui
Changle is a classic sapphire district; Donghai is nationally associated with quartz crystal; Lingbi is famous for ornamental limestone. Material provenance does not establish a right to collect from working pits or private land.
What Can You Find in China?
| Material | Important research regions | Field-use note |
|---|---|---|
| Nephrite / Hetian jade | Hotan, Yutian, Qiemo, Ruoqiang, Kunlun / Golmud | High-value mineral-resource regions; active rights and mine control are important. |
| Xiuyan jade | Xiuyan, Liaoning | Protected geographical-indication product region; collecting access is not implied. |
| Dushan jade | Nanyang, Henan | Nationally standardized ornamental-stone material; mine/locality access remains controlled. |
| Turquoise | Zhushan / Shiyan, Hubei | Important northwest-Hubei mineral belt; verify title and land status. |
| Sapphire | Changle, Shandong | Known basalt-hosted sapphire district; not automatically public collecting ground. |
| Agate / chalcedony | Fuxin, Alxa, Hami, Xunke | Use locality information for research; confirm current access before removal. |
| Quartz crystal | Donghai, Altay, East Qinling, many pegmatite belts | China Geological Survey recognizes major quartz resources; mining/exploration rights control extraction. |
| Fluorite | Hunan and other southern/eastern metallogenic belts | Often associated with active industrial mineral deposits. |
| Stibnite / antimony | Xikuangshan, Wanshan-related southwest belts | Historic/active mining context; avoid workings and waste dumps without permission. |
| Tungsten / tin | Chenzhou, Shizhuyuan, Ganzhou, Dayu, Gejiu | Major strategic-mineral districts governed by mineral-right law. |
China Rockhounding Rules, Mineral Rights & Metal Detecting Law
1. Mineral resources are State-owned
The revised Mineral Resources Law states that mineral resources belong to the State. Ownership of the surface land does not convert the underlying mineral resource into privately owned material. Exploration, mining and related activities are governed by the mineral-right system and legal approvals.
2. Current mineral law
The revised Mineral Resources Law was adopted on November 8, 2024 and took effect on July 1, 2025. It strengthens mineral-resource protection, mining-right administration, ecological restoration and supervision. A rockhounding map should therefore be treated as geological information, not a legal authorization to extract mineral resources.
3. Active mines and exploration areas
Do not enter active mines, quarries, tunnels, pits, blasting areas or exploration works without authorization. Mineral-right holders and site operators have legal interests that must not be disturbed.
4. Cultural relics and archaeology
The revised Law on Protection of Cultural Relics took effect March 1, 2025. Cultural relics are under State protection and archaeological excavation is strictly regulated. The metal-detecting map therefore marks major cultural-relic sites as no-go avoidance records.
5. Beaches, parks and scenic areas
Public access is not equivalent to detector permission. Scenic-area, beach, park, nature-reserve and municipal management rules may restrict detectors, digging, removal of objects or disturbance of the ground. Confirm the responsible manager’s rules before field use.
6. Finds that may be cultural relics
Do not treat old objects, tomb-related material, buried structures, coins from archaeological contexts or other possible cultural relics as ordinary recreational finds. Stop disturbing the area and follow the competent cultural-relic authority’s requirements.
China Field Safety Guide
Mine and quarry hazards
Never enter shafts, adits, stopes, unstable cuts, pits or blasting zones without authorization and professional safety controls. Working mines and abandoned workings can be lethal.
Remote western regions
Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Gansu can involve long distances, altitude, heat/cold extremes and limited services. A map pin should not be treated as proof of road access.
Protected landscapes
National parks, geological parks, nature reserves, karst caves and scenic areas may prohibit extraction or ground disturbance even where geology is publicly visible.
Coordinate precision
Most China records are approximate city/county/district context points. They are designed for research and regional planning, not navigation to a vein, excavation, mine face or cultural-relic target.
Respect site management
Follow signs, barriers, operator instructions, municipal rules and land-manager restrictions. Do not remove mineral specimens from museum, geosite, scenic or educational displays.
Environmental care
Do not dig in dunes, wetland edges, fragile karst, wildlife habitat or vegetated parkland without explicit authorization. Pack out waste and avoid damaging geological features.
Primary China Geology & Legal Sources
Official summary of a nationwide provincial atlas covering 182 mineral types and 64,846 mineral localities.
National overview of the country’s mineral-resource distribution and characteristics.
2024 revision, effective July 1, 2025; includes State ownership and mineral-right administration.
Current cultural-relic framework, effective March 1, 2025.
Official provincial mineral overview including turquoise and other resources.
Official provincial mineral summary covering fluorite, antimony, tungsten, bismuth and other resources.
Official locality and historical-mining context for Shoushan stone.
Standards and geographical-indication references used for Hetian jade, Xiuyan jade and Dushan jade context.
China Rockhounding & Metal Detecting FAQ
Can I collect jade or mineral specimens anywhere shown on the China map?
No. A map point documents a mineral or gemstone locality, not recreational collecting permission. Check land access, current mineral rights, mine control, local rules and protected-area restrictions.
Is metal detecting generally legal in China?
This guide does not identify a blanket nationwide recreational authorization. Detector use should be treated as permission-dependent and must not conflict with cultural-relic, archaeological, property, park, scenic-area or other local restrictions.
Why are many China coordinates approximate?
Official mineral information commonly identifies a province, county, mining district or metallogenic belt rather than a public hobby-collecting point. Approximate markers preserve that uncertainty rather than inventing precise access coordinates.
Why are famous historical sites on the metal-detecting map?
They are red no-go/avoidance markers. They are included to prevent users from mistaking culturally significant sites for detector destinations.
Does China now appear on the Global maps?
Yes. China is registered in the site’s Global Country Registry. The China rockhounding dataset feeds Global Rockhounding, and the China metal-detecting dataset feeds Global Metal Detecting.