On the bank of the Red River, in Long Bien district, Hanoi, there is a small hamlet where around ten families make beehive-shaped coal.

This beehive-shaped coal making ‘enterprise’ has been working at the Long Bien bridge pier for
15 years. This job is very hard and noxious but workers earn up to VND100,000 ($5) a day.

Diep, from Thai Binh province, said he has to stand eight hours a day to shovel coal
 into the beehive-shaped coal maker.

The main materials to make beehive-shaped coal are brown coal and coal dust.
For “clean” coal, producers add herbs to detoxify noxious smell and reduce pollution.

Each family uses two coal making machines, which work for 12 hours a day.

Hung, from Vinh Phuc, said he works with all of his might to earn VND100,000 a day.

After being molded, coal pieces are put into kilns. Each kiln can contain from 1,000 to 1,200 coal pieces.

 

Clean coal pieces are wrapped by plastic bags. This enterprise produces around 1,000
clean coal bags and around 9,000 normal coal pieces.

Before selling coal, we have to clear holes for each coal piece because if the holes
are not clear, coal pieces cannot burn.

Coal is transported by motorbikes to customers in Hanoi and some neighboring provinces.

A motorbike can carry 200 coal pieces.