Fuxin sees big potential from industrial tourism

With many cities in northeastern China - once the heart of the nation's heavy industries - vying to upgrade their key sectors to keep pace with the ongoing structural reforms, Fuxin in Liaoning province is being remoulded as a mining-themed tourist spot.

Haizhou Coal Mine, nearby the city, which opened in the 1940s, was one of Asia's biggest open-cast mines by output. The mine closed in 2005 after running out of reserves, and has since been named as one of the 28 national mining parks by the central government.

It now features a viewing platform for visitors, overlooking a crater that is 2.1 kilometers long, 4.3 km wide and 350 meters deep. In addition, the local government has built a park with a railway museum, construction machinery exhibitions, hotels and restaurants.