The Last Coal Mine in Beijing | Sohu “Midnight Sun Studio”
Lv Meng, Wen Bin—Sohu
Western Beijing’s centuries-long history of coal mining came to a full stop in September. Over the last two decades, hundreds of coal mines of various sizes gradually ceased operations as city planners re-developed Mentougou district for environmental conservation. Established in 1958, the Datai Coal Mine, which once employed 8,000 workers during its peak in the 1980s, was the last coal mine in Beijing. Writer-photographer Lv Meng and videographer Wen Bin were there to bear witness to the disassembly of mining infrastructure in the final days of these mines that were once full of sweat and hope.
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Western Beijing’s centuries-long history of coal mining came to a full stop in September. Over the last two decades, hundreds of coal mines of various sizes gradually ceased operations as city planners re-developed Mentougou district for environmental conservation. Established in 1958, the Datai Coal Mine, which once employed 8,000 workers during its peak in the 1980s, was the last coal mine in Beijing. Writer-photographer Lv Meng and videographer Wen Bin were there to bear witness to the disassembly of mining infrastructure in the final days of these mines that were once full of sweat and hope.