Letpadaung Copper Mine, Large copper mine in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region, Myanmar.
The Letpadaung Copper Mine is an open-pit copper mine in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region, Myanmar, operated jointly by Wanbao Mining Ltd and Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited. The site covers a wide area of excavated terrain marked by deep pits, conveyor systems, and heavy machinery running around the clock.
Mining rights at this site were first granted to the Canadian company Ivanhoe in 1994, before being transferred to the current operators. Large-scale extraction began following new agreements in 2010 and the mine reached full production a few years later.
A Buddhist pagoda was relocated in 2012 to make way for the expanding mine, prompting protests led by monks from nearby communities. The episode left a lasting mark on how people in the area relate to the mining operations that now dominate the landscape.
This is an active industrial site with security restrictions, and visitor access is very limited. It is worth checking current conditions with local authorities before planning any visit to the area.
Local farmers have reported that mining activities have affected the water quality reaching their fields, fueling a long-running dispute between the operating companies and communities that depend on agriculture. This tension between resource extraction and farming has shaped life in this part of the Sagaing Region for decades.
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