Miner's Dormitory Introduction
At the peak of the mining industry in Houtong, a large number of miner families moved here, and the miner dormitories, also known as "Liaozi," were established. In Houtong, there were several dormitory areas including Neiliaozai, Sanzuo Liao, Wuzuo Liao, Fanzai Liao, and Meiyuan Cuo, all serving as worker dormitories. In the early days, most were separated by wooden partitions, with a small hole in the wooden wall to install a light bulb shared by two households; kitchens, bathrooms, and toilets were also communal. Although the buildings appeared to be two stories high from the outside, they were actually divided into three levels internally. Each small window served as a living space for a family, where miners and their families lived daily lives that included children studying, sleeping, and eating all in the confined space separated by windows. As the government ordered the closure of the mines, a large population moved out to live elsewhere, leaving behind the original miner dormitories standing tall, showing future generations the living conditions of the miners at that time.
