How did Huainan grow from a small town into a major industrial city?

Huainan, originally a minor town known as Tianjia’an, transformed into a major industrial city primarily through the exploitation of its natural resources and strategic economic planning.1

The city's growth began in the early 20th century following the discovery of coal deposits. While mining started in the 1920s, significant development occurred during the Japanese occupation (1937–1945) and accelerated after 1949 with the discovery of new deposits. By the 1970s, Huainan had become a central hub for one of China’s most important coalfields, featuring mechanized deep pits and a major thermal-power-generating plant that supplies electricity to northern Anhui.12

Industrial diversification followed in the 1950s with the establishment of chemical and photochemical plants, an iron- and steelworks, and engineering and machine-building shops. Additionally, the city leveraged its location in a fertile agricultural region to develop food- and tobacco-processing industries, supported by irrigation projects from the Huai River Conservancy Authority. Enhanced by its railway connections to cities like Hefei and Xuzhou, Huainan solidified its status as a key industrial center.1