In eastern China, most of the copper skarn deposits occur
in folded troughs which are controlled by the EW-trending faulted fold systems
(the Pal-Asian geotectonic domain), and the NNE-trending rift or fault zones
(the Marginal-Pacific geotectonic domain), particularly the later. From the
north to the south, there are four troughs hosting the main copper skarn
deposits in eastern China: the Yanliao Trough, the Yangzi River Trough, The
Qiantang-Yuanshui Trough and the Zichen Trough. There are more than 30 copper
skarn deposits in eastern China, and ore reserves of each deposit are between 30
to 100 Mt with average grades over 1% Cu.

Most of the large copper skarn
deposit-related intrusions are Mesozoic in age (170 to 100 Ma) and were emplaced
during the Yanshanian Movement. Outwards from the intrusion bodies, both the
skarn alteration and mineralisation show certain patterns of zonation. Mineral
assemblages indicate a relatively high oxidisation state during metasomatic
alteration and mineralisation. Sulphur isotopic work indicates that most
34S values of the sulphides are between ~4 to 3 suggesting a
common magmatic sulphur source. Fluid inclusion and oxygen isotopic studies
suggest that early-stage fluid shows magma-related fluid characteristics
although meteoric water was involved during late-stage
alteration.