CHANGCHUN — A group of children took part in a mining-themed activity at a former industrial site recently, wearing head lamps and small vests, with miniature bamboo baskets on their backs and shovels in hand.

As they bent over a simulated mining pit, they used their fingertips to feel the texture of real coal while carefully "excavating" the "black gold" beneath their feet, with laughter carrying across the site.

This is the scene in the Black Gold Town park in Liaoyuan city, Northeast China's Jilin province, which has become a cultural hot spot that brings the memories of a century-old coal city back to life.

Liaoyuan was a town that boasted abundant coal resources and thrived on the coal mining industry. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, a steady stream of coal was shipped from Liaoyuan all across the country, fueling the nation's industrial development.

However, as coal resources gradually dwindled, Liaoyuan fell into a predicament of resource depletion. It suffered from a damaged ecological environment and a lack of industrial diversification. Large areas of abandoned industrial facilities and open-pit mines became visible scars on the city. Transformation was urgently needed.

In 2008, Liaoyuan was listed as one of the first pilot cities in China for economic transformation in resource-depleted cities. This old industrial city took the initiative to change. Former coal machinery plants and equipment factories, left dormant for years after resources ran out, have regained vitality as part of the city's transformation.

The Black Gold Town, in particular, was transformed from the original site of a factory of the Liaoyuan Coal Mine. The former factory buildings have been cleverly repurposed: there is a family-friendly growth center, an outdoor adventure playground, and the main workshop now hosts commercial spaces and stage performances, giving new life to old industrial heritage.

Walking through the Black Gold Town, visitors can see that the main street retains the original roads and greenery of the former factory. Inside the exhibition halls, there are interactive exhibits, vintage mining tools that can be operated, and audio recordings of miners recounting their firsthand experiences. These make the culture of the former coal-rich city not just a static display but an immersive, hands-on cultural experience.

Even the subsidence areas left behind by coal mining have been put to ingenious use. The voids created by subsidence, along with the rivers that have formed there, have been developed into water-based attractions. Rafting rides and spinning water slides now operate above the water, allowing visitors to enjoy the experience while overlooking the former mine landscape.

Guo Siyang, general manager of the Black Gold Town cultural tourism creative park, said the transition from "mining coal" to "mining fun from coal" represents a fundamental change in the city's development philosophy, and a commitment to carrying forward and innovating industrial culture.

"Since we began trial operations in 2025, the annual visitor numbers have exceeded 700,000, which is far beyond our expectations," Guo said.

Earlier this month, the Black Gold Town officially opened to the public, welcoming over 30,000 visitors on the first day. In the first week alone, visitor numbers surpassed 60,000, and advance sales exceeded 2 million yuan ($291,000).

"Looking at our current performance and public feedback, we are very confident about the future," Guo said. With the town's growing popularity, tourists from neighboring cities such as Shenyang in Liaoning province, Harbin in Heilongjiang province and beyond have been drawn to visit.

Wang Mingxia, a resident of Liaoyuan, often brings her child here. "When I was young, all I saw here were coal fumes and mining yards," she said. "The environment was nothing like it is now. Today, wherever you look, there is greenery.

"Liaoyuan no longer revolves solely around coal but instead focuses on environmental protection and tourism development. More and more visitors are coming. I'm truly happy to see this city change for the better," Wang said.

Xinhua