Former pit owners to start search for new cash

Shanxi province is associated with its wealthy coalmine owners who seem to spend money like water, but Beijing's coalmine owners have also extracted a tidy profit, even if they like to remain less ostentatious.

Wang Xiyou, the owner of Xinqiao coalmine, was very cautious when talking about his business.

"If I had made a fortune from the mine, I would donate it to the state, leaving just enough for me to live on," said Wang.