Chinese man works at coalface with father aged 12, goes on to earn mining engineering PhD
The 30-something man, who is known online as 'Coal Miner No 3', recently shared the acknowledgements from his PhD thesis on social media.
He also recalled his childhood in a poor area and being sent to learn martial arts.
At the age of 12, he joined his father down the coal mines while his mother ran the household.
The man known as 'Coal Miner No 3' is pictured after a tough shift underground. Photo: Douyin
Driven to escape poverty, he studied hard and worked part-time as a construction worker, a waiter, a cook and a miner during secondary school.
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