Illegal Gold Panning Resurfaces in Gansu River Amid High Prices

Nighttime crowds return to the Yanzi River

In the small hours on the Yanzi River in Kangxian county, Longnan, crowds waded into the cold current with plastic basins and flashlights. Footage shared on Chinese social platforms over the weekend, later removed, captured dozens of people standing knee deep at around 1 am while the air hovered near 4 degrees Celsius. Video captions and onlookers described the river as busy, a narrow ribbon of light moving across the shallows as people scooped gravel and swirled silt in search of yellow flecks. The scene returned despite repeated warnings from local authorities that the activity is illegal.

Residents and shopkeepers along the banks said similar night gatherings have appeared off and on since early this year. They described occasional lulls when patrols were visible, followed by quick bursts of activity once workers resumed dredging parts of the riverbed. Several people who tried their luck told local reporters they could see trace amounts of gold in the pan. A widely shared claim said some participants collected more than five grams of gold in a single basin, a tempting payday that helped draw bigger crowds after dark.

Rising global prices form part of the backdrop. Spot gold has hovered near historic highs for much of the past year, lifting the lure of informal prospecting across many countries. In places where rivers cut through mineral bearing terrain, people with little more than a pan and patience can sometimes wash out fine flakes concentrated by the current. If someone truly pulled five grams in one go, that amount would be worth several hundred dollars at recent global prices, a powerful figure in a county where seasonal work and modest business margins leave many households watching every yuan.

What officials say and how enforcement is unfolding

County officials say the practice violates national law and has drawn a steady stream of complaints. Staff at the Kangxian county government office told domestic media that individual panning is strictly prohibited and that police had received multiple reports from residents and crews clearing the riverbed. Officers deployed to the area have patrolled at night and dispersed crowds entering the water. The county natural resources bureau issued a public notice in July warning against illegal gold panning and published a hotline so people could report violations. In June, the Chengguan township government cautioned that unauthorized mining was harming the river and putting navigation and flood protection at risk.

A staff member at the Kangxian county government office described the prohibition in clear terms after the latest reports to police.

‘Individual gold panning is strictly prohibited. Police have received several reports in recent days.’

In a separate June notice, the Chengguan township government warned of ecological damage and threats to waterway safety.

‘Unauthorized mining was damaging the river’s ecology and threatening waterway safety.’

Police patrols have continued through the weekend, with officers discouraging people from entering the water at night and asking onlookers to stay off the riverbank. County staff also urged residents to use the hotline to report new gatherings as river works progress.

Why dredging sparked a new rush

River dredging can reshape channels and stir up sediments. When heavy machinery scrapes the bed, it can expose pockets of ancient gravel that hold fine gold particles eroded from upstream rocks. Those particles, called alluvial gold, collect in drifts and behind stones. Freshly disturbed sections can temporarily concentrate flakes in shallow eddies where a hand pan can catch them. Residents said the latest wave of prospectors appeared soon after dredging resumed on parts of the Yanzi River, a sequence that mirrors reports from other rivers where maintenance work briefly made panning more attractive.

Gansu is rich in minerals, with belts of gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits identified by decades of surveys. Geological teams have long mapped mineralized horizons and fault zones across the province, and modern tools such as hyperspectral imaging have improved understanding of where ore bodies occur. That science helps large companies target ore in mountain districts. It also explains why small flakes can be found in certain river reaches that cut through those belts, especially after floods or dredging shift sediments.

Alluvial panning is simple in concept. Gravel and sand are scooped into a shallow pan, shaken with water to let heavy particles sink, and then gently swirled until lighter grains wash out. Gold is denser than quartz and feldspar, so it settles to the bottom. The method needs no explosives or chemicals, yet repeated disturbance by many people can scatter bank soils, trample riparian plants, and drive up turbidity that smothers fish eggs.

The risks people take for a few grams of gold

Wading into a river at night poses more than legal risk. The Yanzi River can run fast even in shallow stretches. Cold water at 4 degrees Celsius drains body heat in minutes and increases the chance of cramps. Uneven cobbles, hidden holes, and sudden drop offs can topple people holding a pan and a flashlight. A crowded riverbank adds trip hazards when those at the edge must back up quickly to avoid deeper flow.

Mining more broadly is a high risk industry. In 2022 a mine collapse in Gansu buried workers and vehicles, and a separate cave in in Guizhou killed and injured miners. Those tragedies occurred at industrial sites, not on riverbanks, yet they underline how quickly extraction can turn deadly when ground conditions fail or when people work in marginal locations. Rivers change course with rain, and fresh dredging can leave unstable slopes that slump without warning.

Local authorities have tried to reduce harm by dispersing nighttime gatherings. They also rely on reports from river workers who can spot unsafe behavior from heavy machinery staging points. Keeping people out of the water during dredging reduces the chance of slips near excavators and trucks, and gives crews clear space to shape banks for flood control.

Environmental strains on a working river

Even small scale panning disturbs stream life. Swirling basins remove fine sediments from the bed and release plumes of silt that drift downstream. That cloud can reduce oxygen for aquatic insects and coat spawning gravels that fish need in spring. Foot traffic along the bank breaks roots that hold soil, accelerating erosion and widening the channel. When dozens of people repeat the process night after night, the cumulative effect adds up.

Rivers in China already face pressure from sand extraction for construction, reservoir operations, and flood control works. Researchers who track sand mining warn that unchecked digging can lower riverbeds, damage fisheries, and alter water tables. While gold panning in Kangxian involves hand tools, it takes place alongside dredging that moves far larger volumes. That mix can magnify ecological stress if disturbed sections are left bare or if turbid plumes persist through sensitive seasons.

Flood risk also sits in the background. Gansu has endured deadly flash floods and mudslides in recent seasons after episodes of heavy rain. Maintaining clear channels and stable banks is part of local safety planning. Unauthorized digging can work against that goal by destabilizing freshly graded edges or by creating pits that trap flow and divert water into weak points.

The legal and economic calculus for residents

China’s Mineral Resources Law states that mineral resources belong to the State. Individuals and organizations may not explore or extract minerals without official approvals and permits. Those who take mineral resources without approval can face administrative penalties, confiscation of gains and equipment, and, in serious cases, criminal liability. Local governments enforce the rules with patrols, hotlines, and notices that spell out the risks for would be prospectors.

The economic draw is real. Reports that some people found five grams in a single pan translate to a valuable haul at recent world prices. Even if most pans show only specks, a few lucky swirls can overshadow a day of wages in service jobs. That helps explain why crowds return after videos spread, and why activity moves to the fringes of patrol hours.

Officials aim to cut the incentive by keeping panners out of newly disturbed stretches and by reminding residents that any gold in the river is not theirs to take. Publishing the hotline and staging regular patrols are meant to hold the line until dredging ends and the current disperses fresh deposits that drew attention.

How China manages small scale mining

Policy and market forces have reshaped the mining landscape over the past decade. Research that mapped mine land across China shows rapid growth before the mid 2010s and slower expansion after 2014 when iron overcapacity and tighter environmental rules took hold. Regulators narrowed approvals, set stricter reclamation standards, and leaned on remote sensing to watch mine footprints. The trend points to a system more sensitive to market swings and to environmental risk.

Gansu has legal mines that operate under permits far from the Yanzi River. Joint ventures and state owned firms explore and extract ore in designated zones, subject to inspection and safety rules. That formal path involves surveys, environmental assessments, and community engagement, a process that does not allow casual panning along public waterways.

Lessons from elsewhere and supply chain concerns

Other countries have grappled with gold rushes along rivers when prices rise. Ghana authorized military operations in 2021 to push illegal miners away from waterways after a surge in dredging damaged river habitats and drinking water. The campaign paired enforcement with education, with mixed results across regions. The experience shows that guarding river corridors can require sustained patrols and community reporting to keep people and equipment out of active channels.

Global supply chains for metals also draw scrutiny for labor practices. The U.S. Department of Labor lists several goods from China that involve forced or child labor according to its assessments, including materials tied to mining and processing. This is not a claim about the Yanzi River, yet it underscores how buyers, refiners, and brands face growing pressure to verify where materials come from and how they were produced.

What happens next for Kangxian and the Yanzi River

Local offices are likely to continue patrols while dredging proceeds and to keep the reporting hotline active. Nighttime checks limit gatherings in cold, low visibility conditions when injuries are more likely. Moving people away from sections under construction helps contractors finish flood control work before winter storms raise flows.

Residents who witness renewed panning can call the hotline, and community leaders can explain the risks in village chat groups before videos feed another night rush. Public messaging that mixes the legal rules, safety reminders, and ecological stakes tends to work best when it arrives early and often. If attention to the river fades once dredging ends, the brief gold fever may fade with it.

At a Glance

• Dozens of people were filmed panning for gold at night in the Yanzi River in Kangxian, Longnan
• Scenes of panning have reappeared since early this year and picked up after river dredging resumed
• Kangxian county staff say individual gold panning is prohibited, and police have dispersed night gatherings
• A July county notice banned illegal gold panning and published a hotline for reporting violations
• Chengguan township warned in June that unauthorized mining harms ecology and threatens waterway safety
• Some participants reportedly found more than five grams in one basin, feeding renewed crowds
• All mineral resources are owned by the State, and exploration or extraction requires official permits
• Environmental and safety concerns include turbidity, bank erosion, swift currents, and cold water
• High global gold prices increase the lure, while enforcement and public messaging continue