With more than 100 tonnes of contained gold, the Sawaya’erdun Gold Mine is one of the few ultra-large, low-grade gold mines in China. It is situated in the Central Asian Gold Belt, an area with favorable metallogenic conditions. To date, 21 mineralized zones have been discovered in the mine, with the potential for further discoveries at depth and along its periphery.

Phase I of the mine, which includes mining and processing facilities, was built in June 2024. The company plans to increase the capacity of its existing mining and processing system from 8,000 tonnes per day to 13,000 tonnes per day by optimizing open pit boundaries, expanding the mining area, and adding processing equipment and facilities. This is projected to increase annual gold output to 4.2 tonnes.

In July 2022, Zijin Mining acquired a 70% interest in the Sawaya’erdun Gold Mine in Wuqia County, Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang.