At 6:00 a.m., in the shift handover room at the Ha Lam Coal Company, hundreds of workers gather to prepare for the day ahead. Nguyen Thanh Dat readies himself to descend into the mine with his colleagues.
Born into a family of miners - his father and grandfather both worked underground - Dat chose to follow the same path. His daily tasks include inspecting coal conveyor belts, repairing electrical equipment, and assisting with track installation for mine carts. These conveyor lines and tracks serve as the “arteries” of underground operations; even a minor fault can disrupt the entire production chain.
“There was definitely influence from my family. At first, I hesitated, but my grandfather and parents said the job is stable with a decent income, so I decided to pursue it,” Dat explained his decision.
Dat's work starts at 7:30 a.m., and if everything underground goes smoothly, he returns to the surface at 2:00 p.m.
Nguyen Thanh Du, Dat’s 70-year-old grandfather and a former miner at Ha Lam Coal Company, represents the generation that entered the profession in the 1970s with unwavering dedication. In his family, the tradition has been sustained through three generations. Their story of resilience and pride mirrors the mining culture of Quang Ninh.
“I’m happy to see my children and grandchildren working in the mines. I feel honored and proud of them,” said Du.
At the end of a shift in the late afternoon, Nguyen Duy Khanh, an electromechanical worker at the Thong Nhat Coal Company, heads home. Today, he gives his father a ride on his motorbike. Khanh works at Production Workshop 4. His father, Nguyen Hong Cam, works at Workshop 1.
“I started working at Production Workshop 4 in 2017 after completing my studies in underground electromechanics. I earn 570 USD a month on average. My father has passed down a lot of experience to me,” said Khanh.
After nine years underground, Khanh feels a strong sense of belonging to the mines. But his connection to the profession began much earlier, shaped by the stories of his grandfather about the early days of mining and the formation of “miner streets” in Cam Pha. His family’s involvement in the trade spans three generations.
Khanh’s father, Nguyen Hong Cam, has spent 25 years in the mines. Cam recalls his own father, Nguyen Duc Tong, as the inspiration behind his career choice. In 1965, Tông left his hometown in Thai Binh for Quang Ninh, transitioning from farming to mining and becoming part of the first generation of workers at the Thong Nhat Coal Company.
“When I was young, I saw my father work extremely hard. Mining back then was very primitive. Despite the hardships, he remained dedicated. He raised us with discipline and care. His example guided us, and when I grew up, I chose to follow the same path,” Cam recalled.
Families with two or three generations of miners have shaped the cultural identity of the mining region and contributed to building Quang Ninh’s prosperous coal industry.
