TAIYUAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A 111-year-old exhausted coal mine in north China's Shanxi Province was awarded the "national industrial heritage," sources with the company that owns the mine said Tuesday.

The Yangquan Coal Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. said the mine had produced 240 million tonnes of coal since it went operational in 1907, and had gained more than 80 honors because of its great contributions to the country's economy and development.

Since the reserves of the coal mine were exhausted, the company decided to shut down the mine and started to explore the cultural value of the mine.

According to the company, the mine is of great historic, scientific, technological, social and artistic values. It has diverse means to access the seam from the surface, including well-preserved vertical and inclined shafts. There is also a 40,000-meter-long tunnel and supporting facilities in the mine.

Based on these resources, the company plans to build the mine, as well as the entire mining area and workshop, into a coal-themed relics park, according to the sources.