Mountain quest reveals hidden riches

Geological workers brave harsh terrain to map Yunnan's mineral wealth

A convoy of off-road vehicles was winding its way up the mountain road, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured the view. Suddenly, it came to a halt. Wang Tianyi, clad in a blue uniform, camouflage pants, and work shoes, stepped out of the first vehicle and gently carried away the calf that was blocking the way ahead.

This unexpected encounter on Jan 28, unlike past encounters with bears and wild boars, marked the start of yet another challenging day for Wang and his colleagues as they embarked on a crucial mineral exploration mission around the Lanping lead-zinc mine in the Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province.