The northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang were once the crown jewels of China’s heavy industries. But as the nation adopted its “reform and opening policy”, new private companies outperformed state-owned enterprises established under a  Soviet-style planned economy model. Some towns, such as those producing coal, also struggled after exhausting their natural resources. The changes left many factory workers and miners without previously stable jobs and forced to fend for themselves. The region is often called China’s “rust belt”, and some TV dramas set in the area feature scenes of mass unemployment and urban decay. 

But the Smooth Sailing Beerhouse in the Liaoning provincial capital Shenyang is one bright spot. The establishment is proof that despite the economic desolation, local people cling to optimism and resilience.