Yang Haiming didn’t stop working when he retired from the coal mines at age 60. Instead, he swapped underground tunnels for sizzling grills, turning his livelihood into a restaurant that serves lamb skewers to tourists visiting the Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO-recognized 6th century site with intricate Buddhist carvings. Yang’s pivot represents a rare success story in Datong, the northern Shanxi city long known as China’s coal capital, where the nation’s energy and economic priorities are rapidly shifting.
For decades, miners like Yang powered China’s meteoric growth, digging billions of tons of coal from the province’s vast reserves. Shanxi alone would be the world’s largest coal producer if it were a country, with roughly 800,000 miners extracting 1.3 billion tons in 2025 — nearly a third of China’s coal. Millions more depend indirectly on the industry, in roles ranging from logistics to local services. But China’s aggressive expansion of renewable energy, which last year covered almost all of the nation’s new power demand, is forcing the province to rethink its economic identity, and tourism is emerging as the main vehicle for that transition.
Yet not everyone is prepared to pivot. Zhou Hongfei, a 36-year-old coal miner, said the uncertainty of leaving his trade looms large. “To really be able to make contact with and then switch into a new industry is very hard, and the truth is, I don’t dare,” Zhou told AP. Supporting his wife and 8-year-old daughter makes the risk of change seem even higher. Many workers feel they lack the skills for anything beyond mining or returning to subsistence farming, highlighting a generational challenge as China phases out coal reliance.
Yang’s own village was built by the state-owned enterprise that ran the No. 9 mine, typical of mining towns across Shanxi. Once a bustling community with schools, daycare, and a sports center, the area is now quiet. The school gates are locked, apartment blocks partially empty, and the mine itself largely a museum known as Jinhuagong National Mine Park. Elevated rail lines still snake through the town, carrying coal to other provinces, but the hum of industrial life has largely faded. Statues of female miners, old machinery, and walls of fame preserve memories of the city’s coal-driven past, creating a poignant juxtaposition with the changing economic landscape.
Yang remembers those bustling days vividly. “There were so many people, especially during the New Year. It was crowded everywhere. Now the bustling scenes have gone, and so has the feeling,” he said. Those who remain are attempting to capitalize on the Yungang Grottoes’ rising popularity. One retired miner walked the streets offering noodles to tourists, while Yang’s restaurant has found steady business serving visitors. However, these examples are exceptions rather than the rule. Tom Wang, a Shanxi native and environmental activist, told AP that many miners “don’t know what to do… All they know is to be a coal miner, or the easiest fallback option is for them to go back to farming.”
The provincial government has invested in alternatives, from coal-to-hydrogen projects to promoting native crops like “youmai” oats. Tourism has shown early success, particularly after the blockbuster video game Black Myth: Wukong featured the Yungang Grottoes, boosting visitors to 4.5 million in 2024, up from 3 million the year before. Hang Kan, who directs the Yungang Research Institute and represents the area in the National People’s Congress, called for developing culture and tourism into a “strategic pillar” to improve Shanxi residents’ livelihoods.
Despite the promise, many workers remain skeptical of accessing new opportunities. Xu, a coal miner who has taken a second job as a ride-share driver, questioned whether tourism benefits would reach ordinary people. “For Datong, those who can enjoy the benefits of this tourism boom, it’s mostly the big hotels and maybe some restaurants, noodle shops, but what do you think regular people can get?” he asked. Transitioning to a new sector is challenging, particularly for those accustomed to a single trade that, until recently, offered stable, if cyclical, incomes.
Coal itself remains vital, even as China pushes renewables. The Iran war and other global disruptions have underscored vulnerabilities in energy supply chains. Analysts at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air note that the government has backed off previous commitments to reduce coal consumption. In 2025, China brought 78 gigawatts of new coal power online — more than India managed in a decade — highlighting that coal will continue to play a critical role in national energy security.
Shanxi’s future may lie in balancing tradition with transformation. Yang, earning more now from his restaurant than he ever did underground, is a rare example of successful adaptation. Others may need skills, support, and new opportunities to avoid being left behind as China’s energy landscape and economic priorities evolve. Whether the province can pivot fully from coal remains uncertain, but for now, Datong’s streets reveal a city at a crossroads: the smoke of coal fires fading, the scent of grilled lamb filling the air, and a generation of miners learning to forge new paths.
