"28 Years Underground: The Memoir of a Coal Miner"

I am a retired coal miner now resting at home, doing nothing. I can barely walk or breathe properly; both my legs have problems. I worked as a coal miner for 28 years, starting underground work in 1984 until 2001. My main job in the mine was tunneling, commonly known as digging coal, mining coal deep underground.

After arriving for work, we would first change into special black mining attire. We wore miners' lamps and carried self-rescuers. We also had location devices. essentially self-rescue trackers. Everyone carried one. If an accident happened, the device would send a location signal to the surface equipment, so rescuers would know precisely where to find the person. It's similar to GPS on airplanes. If anything went wrong, this device continuously sent signals to locate you.

The detailed underground workflow involved descending via the mine shaft to over 500 meters below ground. Down there, we'd take transport cars — some heading east, some west. After getting off, we would walk to the worksite. Around 400–500 people could go down per day. After finishing work, we'd rush out to catch the transport cars. Some made it, some were late, some missed it altogether. I would stay underground for 8 or 9 hours. We'd descend around 5:30 or 6:00 AM and come up after 4:00 PM. It was a long day, including preparation and cleanup. In larger mines, sometimes you would reach a point where the transport couldn't go further, and you'd have to walk a very long distance, sometimes an hour or even an hour and a half, to reach the actual work area before starting. Some people brought steamed buns to eat down there; others ate nothing until after their shift.

Even wearing padded pants wasn't enough. It was extremely damp, very cold, and humid. We wore heavy padded jackets too. Sometimes, for ventilation, exhaust fans would blow cold air continuously into the mine. When methane gas reached a specific concentration, even a tiny spark could cause an explosion. So it was hazardous.

Coal mining leads to pneumoconiosis (silicosis), a chronic disease caused by long-term exposure to dust, especially during drilling and blasting. I think the most dangerous aspects of mining are self-inflicted. Lung disease is inevitable. Safety measures were checked daily, but the risk of gas explosions always remained.

After so many years working, what I remember most are accidents: slipping and falling, breaking my leg or hand, or getting my leg lacerated by a steel cable. The mine provided living expenses but didn't cover medical treatment. I developed many chronic health problems from the work. Now, when I try to get a tooth pulled, they say my blood pressure is too high. My heart isn't good either; I often need IV drips. My leg was crushed and cut by a snapped steel cable back then.

If a gas explosion killed only a few people, the impact wasn't huge. But if many died, the consequences were severe. In China, there's a "deaths per million tons of coal" safety standard: a specific fatality rate is considered "normal." Safety regulations are strict: for every million tons mined, only one or two deaths are "allowed" within the acceptable range. If it exceeds that, like dozens dying at once, it's considered a major liability accident. For people like me, working underground for so long in damp, dusty conditions, especially with all the dust from blasting, takes a toll.

Back then, protective gear and protocol weren't decent. Sometimes we didn't even wear masks. Some young workers never wore them. So the dust entered our lungs and settled there, causing our lungs to lose elasticity. As more dust accumulated, oxygen couldn't get in. Lungs lost their flexibility, forcing us to breathe heavily. This oxygen deprivation severely affects the body's systems. Many miners don't live long lives — it's mainly because of this work.

In our country's past, when the economy was tough, finding any job, whether farming or mining, was a blessing. It solved basic survival needs, so despite the dangers, people considered it a decent job. Compared to farming, it was much better, so many chose to work in mines, descend underground, to feed their families. Given these constraints, coal mining—though harsher and riskier than other jobs—offered higher wages. That's why many were willing to do it, despite the hardship, exhaustion, and danger.

Back then, industrial mechanization was low, so manual labor was intense and exhausting. The real burden fell on the workers at the front line. Workers earned the least: a foreman earned 50% more than a worker, and a section chief earned much more than a foreman. A foreman might make over 10,000 yuan, and the higher up you were, the more you earned. But to be fair, forepersons became foremen through years of experience and skill. Section chiefs were usually in their 40s or 50s, with decades of experience. Their higher pay reflected their responsibility for directing, coordinating, planning, and understanding the complex operations, which is reasonable.

Overall, in our area, like Macun, coal was the backbone of our generation, which nourished us in our daily lives. People my age — our parents all worked in mines, either underground or in surface support roles. Even above-ground auxiliary jobs relied on coal to raise families. We sacrificed tremendously. Now, Jiaozuo's coal mines have been dug into giant pits; the resources are exhausted. I also worked in a cement plant later — still dark underground, but at least it was a bit better than the mines.

- Anonymous

Melody Shen｜Content curator

Kira｜Editor

Cathy｜Translator