Coal-rich Shanxi province has undertaken the tough task of cutting overcapacity in its coal industry.

The province closed 25 collieries in 2016, reducing coal production by 23.25 million tons.

The consequent redundancy of many workers in the coal industry has become an urgent problem which needs to be solved. More than 21,000 staff members in the industry have had to find new jobs. By encouraging entrepreneurship and with government assistance, Shanxi had helped more than 20,000 redundant workers find new employment by the end of 2016.

Here are some of their stories about new livelihoods.