In a breath of fresh air, old mines get a makeover

SHENYANG — Standing on the viewing platform of a coal mining museum in Fushun city, visitors can overlook a vast mine that is 6.6 kilometers long, 2.2 km wide and 420 meters deep. After years of restoration, the once dusty coal pit has transformed into a lush green space covered with vegetation and flowers, and is poised for redevelopment as a park.

Located in Northeast China's Liaoning province, Fushun's annual coal production once accounted for one-eleventh of the country's total. This mine, located west of Fushun, became operational in 1901 and had extracted over 280 million metric tons of coal before closing in June 2019.

Restoring the environment of abandoned mine pits is a common challenge worldwide. Faced with this large mine pit spanning over 10 sq km, local authorities have to address the wastelands, the exposed slopes, and ecological damage caused by mining for over a century.