When internet giant NetEase offered a free apartment in the city of Hegang as part of a marketing gimmick to promote online game Nishuihan, it was a sign the once-prosperous coal-mining hub in northeast China had reached rock bottom.
Caixin
In depth: Coal, once a boon, turns Chinese rustbelt city into a bust
Over-dependence on mining sinks fortunes of Hegang in northeast China
Residential buildings in the Chinese city of Hegang in 2020. The city had a thriving economy during the coal industry's "golden decade" from 2003 to 2012. © Reuters
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