![\"Retired](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451309_344_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Retired miner Yang Haiming prepares skewers of barbecued meat at a restaurant in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n
Retired miner Yang Haiming prepares skewers of barbecued meat at a restaurant in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n
Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n
Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n
Share<\/p>\n
Read More<\/p>\n
Shanxi province would be the world\u2019s larger producer of coal if it were its own country. Its roughly 800,000 miners dug 1.3 billion tons in 2025, or nearly one-third of China\u2019s coal. A few million more people work in jobs that rely indirectly on coal, ranging from logistics to restaurants. The province will see crucial change as China adds renewable energy<\/a> so fast it covered almost all of the nation\u2019s growth in power demand last year, and growing tourism is a major goal. <\/p>\n Experts say it\u2019s vital to make sure coal workers don\u2019t get left behind \u2014 a worry for many.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel like money\u2019s coming into this industry,\u201d said Zhou Hongfei, a coal miner.<\/p>\n Coal town\u2019s evolution<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Piles of coal sit near a chemical plant in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Piles of coal sit near a chemical plant in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Heavy machinery moves coal near a chemical plant in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Heavy machinery moves coal near a chemical plant in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n As is typical for China\u2019s state-owned enterprises, the coal company built Yang\u2019s village right next to the mine \u2014 called No. 9 \u2014 that its residents would work. The place once hummed with thousands of workers and their families, with a school, a day care and a sports center. An elevated rail line passes through to carry coal to the rest of the country.<\/p>\n These days, the No. 9 mine is mostly a museum, though a section is still being worked. The school is empty, its gates locked. Many of the low-rise apartment blocks are only partially filled, often not by miners but by people attracted to cheap housing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A board with a photo of the Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed at the gate to the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n A board with a photo of the Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed at the gate to the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \n An statue depicting female miners stands at the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine in Datong, China on Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)\n <\/p>\n An statue depicting female miners stands at the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine in Datong, China on Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \n An old mining machinery is displayed at the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine, in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)\n <\/p>\n An old mining machinery is displayed at the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine, in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A man walks past a wall of fame for mine workers at the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine, in Datong, China on Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n A man walks past a wall of fame for mine workers at the Jinhuagong National Mine Park, a museum converted from a former section of the No. 9 mine, in Datong, China on Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Yang recalls prosperous years before surrounding villages were dismantled.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were so many people, especially during the New Year,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was crowded everywhere. Now the bustling scenes have gone, and so has the feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n Those who stayed behind, like Yang, have tried to capitalize on visitors to the Yungang Grottoes. On a day when Associated Press reporters visited, one retired coal miner walked the street striking up conversations in hopes of bringing customers to his noodle shop. Mostly elderly people walked in the street, soaking up the sun. <\/p>\n Transitioning to tourism is difficult<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A tour guide leads a group tourists as they visit the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n A tour guide leads a group tourists as they visit the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Yang is in the minority of workers who\u2019ve managed to make a transition. <\/p>\n There are many \u201cwho don\u2019t know what to do, who say they don\u2019t have the right skill sets for anyone else. All they know is to be a coal miner, or the easiest fallback option is for them to go back to farming,\u201d said Tom Wang, a Shanxi native, environmental activist and founder of People of Asia for Climate Solutions.<\/p>\n Zhou, 36, said he thought about switching to tourism but didn\u2019t know how. And he worries about supporting his wife and 8-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cTo really be able to make contact with and then switch into a new industry is very hard, and the truth is, I don\u2019t dare,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you leave this industry, you don\u2019t know if it\u2019ll work out. Can I adapt? And what if this ends up being a burden for my family?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zhou Hongfei, a coal miner, holds a bag out to his daughter at a residential complex for former and current coal miners in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Zhou Hongfei, a coal miner, holds a bag out to his daughter at a residential complex for former and current coal miners in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Mining wages rise and fall with demand. Before Yang retired eight years ago, he earned up to 10,000 renminbi (about $1,450) in a good month. He said he earns more now from his restaurant.<\/p>\n The province is trying to develop several alternative industries, from investing in coal-to-hydrogen projects to promoting its native \u201cyoumai,\u201d a type of oat used by locals to make a special type of noodles.<\/p>\n But Shanxi\u2019s major focus and biggest success for life after coal has been tourism. Hang Kan, who directs the Yungang Research Institute that oversees the grottoes and is a representative in the National People\u2019s Congress, last year called for accelerating development of the culture and tourism industry into \u201ca strategic pillar\u201d that \u201cpromotes people\u2019s welfare\u201d in Shanxi.<\/p>\n His remarks came after the blockbuster video game Black Myth: Wukong,<\/a> in which the lead character visits the grottoes and many nearby sites, caused a spike in visitors. The number jumped to 4.5 million in 2024, up from 3 million the year before, according to state media.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tourists take a tour as they visit the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Tourists take a tour as they visit the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \n Vendors selling trinkets wait for tourists at Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)\n <\/p>\n Vendors selling trinkets wait for tourists at Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \n Elderly men play cards at a residential complex for former and current coal miners in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)\n <\/p>\n Elderly men play cards at a residential complex for former and current coal miners in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tourists visit the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Tourists visit the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Yan Jiali, a tour guide in the region, said that boom has caused rising interest in jobs like hers, which requires a government test to become licensed.<\/p>\n \u201cEven my mom\u2019s friends would come ask me about taking this test,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Wang, the activist, is hoping that the high-tech industries that are now the nation\u2019s priority<\/a> will help Shanxi\u2019s transition by providing jobs. After all, he said, the province\u2019s coal powered China\u2019s transformation into an economic powerhouse.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if DeepSeek comes over to Shanxi and says, OK, we will start a data center here? What if Baidu comes over to Shanxi?\u201d he said, referring to China\u2019s homegrown tech companies.<\/p>\n Coal remains important<\/p>\n Few think Shanxi can leave coal mines behind completely. Experts see coal as a critical safety net<\/a> for China\u2019s security needs, and the Iran war has once again highlighted just how vulnerable energy supply chains<\/a> are to disruptions. <\/p>\n The government recently declined to cap how much coal<\/a> can be used, walking back its commitment to gradually reduce coal consumption, according to analysts at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.<\/p>\n \u201cThe confidence hasn\u2019t grown to the point where they can entirely depend on renewable energy,\u201d said Qi Qin, an analyst at CREA.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A solar farm operates with wind turbines in the background in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n A solar farm operates with wind turbines in the background in Datong, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n In fact, China has continued to build out coal power plants at a massive scale, bringing online 78 gigawatts in 2025<\/a>, more than India did in a whole decade. One gigawatt can power about 320,000 Chinese households for a year.<\/p>\n Even if demand doesn\u2019t fall, workers also have to worry that their mines will play out. Some of the older mines in Datong are near the end of their lives. When that happens, workers can be reassigned to other mines that may be far away and pay less.<\/p>\n Another coal mine worker, Xu, has taken a second job as a ride-share driver, spending about 5 hours a day behind the wheel after his day job ends. Xu \u2014 who declined to give his full name for fear of repercussions from the state-owned mine \u2014 said he doubted that the benefits of the industries replacing coal will be spread evenly, whether it\u2019s tourism or renewable energy.<\/p>\n \u201cThis tourism industry, how do I get in there?\u201d he asked. \u201cFor Datong, those who can enjoy the benefits of this tourism boom, it\u2019s mostly the big hotels and maybe some restaurants, noodle shops, but what do you think regular people can get?\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A chimney of a coal-fired power plant is visible near a residential complex in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n A chimney of a coal-fired power plant is visible near a residential complex in Datong, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n ___ The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DATONG, China (AP) \u2014 Yang Haiming didn\u2019t stop working when he retired from the coal mines at age…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":567242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[1204,28,144,3327,1685,101,3321,793,1929,3317,1869,250619,965],"class_list":{"0":"post-567241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-asia-pacific","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-china","11":"tag-china-government","12":"tag-climate-and-environment","13":"tag-economy","14":"tag-energy-industry","15":"tag-general-news","16":"tag-labor","17":"tag-metals-and-mining","18":"tag-renewable-energy","19":"tag-tom-wang","20":"tag-world-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=567241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/567242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=567241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=567241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=567241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Piles](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451309_220_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Heavy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451310_619_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451310_562_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451311_273_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451311_630_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451312_943_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451312_585_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Zhou](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451313_259_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tourists](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451313_168_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Vendors](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451314_891_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Elderly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451314_93_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tourists](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451315_871_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451315_682_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775451316_148_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n