Series Statement
This image is part of a series that documents the lives of coal miners in China's Shanxi province, where coal production is in decline. The miners, many of whom are migrants from other parts of the country, are among the lowest-paid workers in China. Shangfei's series captures their everyday lives, from the long hours spent working in the mines to the cramped and dangerous conditions in which they live. Shangfei's series was awarded first prize in the Weird Press Photo Contest in the Contemporary Issues category.
The judges said: "This is an outstanding series that captures the human cost of China's transition from a coal-based economy to one that is powered by renewable energy. Shangfei's images are intimate and revealing, and they offer a rare glimpse into the lives of some of the country's most vulnerable workers. This is an important story that needs to be told, and Shangfei has done so with great skill and compassion."
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