Valued at approximately 600 billion yuan or US$83 billion, the discovery could be considered the largest and most lucrative reservoir of gold ever uncovered, surpassing the 900 metric tons estimated to lie within the mother of all gold reserves, South Deep mine in South Africa.

Officials say that a gold field deposit in Hunan province could yield over 1,000 tonnes of the precious metal.

China says it has discovered the world’s largest known deposit of gold, estimated to be worth over $80bn (£63bn). The deposit at the Wangu goldfield in central China could yield more than 1,000 tonnes of gold,