Abstract: Based on the geodynamic settings of gold metallogenesis and the basic geological features of gold ore deposits, China’s gold deposits can be classified into 11 categories. Among these categories, the structurally-fractured altered-rock type, inner and outer contacting belts type of plutonic intrusives, the Carlin or quasi-Carlin type, hydrothermal type within low-grade metamorphic clastic rocks, and continental volcanic rock types are the types of interest in prospecting. As far as metallogenic ages concerned, those that occurred in Mesozoic and Cenozoic are the major types. According to their geotectonic units, geological evolution, metallogenic geological conditions, spatial-temporal distribution, gold deposit types, regional metallogenic factors, and volumes of mineral resources, totally 42 gold ore concentration areas, which are spatially distributed in clusters, have been preliminarily identified on the basis of China’s III-graded classification scheme of metallogenic zones (belts). According to gold prospecting borehole quantities per unit area, China’s gold ore concentration areas can be categorized into 3 levels, i.e., highly, moderately, and lowly developed. The highly developed ones are mainly distributed in Central and Eastern China. Except the placer gold deposits, about 88.12% boreholes for primary gold (rock gold or associated gold) deposits are less than 500 m with deep in China, suggesting that the quantities and depths of gold exploration drillings in China are less and shallower than in other countries. As for the gold resources exploration potentials, we propose that (1) in Central and Eastern China, the deep parts and the peripheries of the existing gold mines are key locations to be focused on; (2) for Western China, the gold ore concentration areas, which are located especially in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, and Tibet Autonomous Region, are the future key regions with immense potentials for unexplored gold resources.

Key words: gold deposit, gold deposit type, gold ore concentration area, exploration, resource potential