In the place where the memories of the Mining Region are kept...

Tourists visit the open-air mine model at the Coal Industry exhibition space at Quang Ninh Museum.

The Coal Industry Exhibition Space at Quang Ninh Museum is not only attractive because of its modern design bearing the mark of talented architects but also because of the depth of content elaborately built from the collaboration of experts, officials of the Coal Industry and Ho Chi Minh Museum. This exhibition space occupies more than 40% of the total exhibition area on the 3rd floor of Quang Ninh Museum, nearly ^1,000m2 wide with about 300 photos, documents and 200 artifacts arranged and organized according to the historical process from the French colonial period to the modern era.

Stepping into this space, the first thing that impresses visitors is the coal relief “Glory of Vietnamese Miners” with the prominent red words engraved on it: “Discipline and Unity” - an immortal slogan that has become the soul, closely associated with many generations of Quang Ninh miners. From that symbol, visitors are led on a journey to discover the history of the formation and development of the Coal industry. Each artifact and each photo is not simply evidence of the past but also a silent “storyteller”, fully conveying the resilient spirit, solidarity and passionate patriotism of the miners who have contributed to creating the identity of the Mining Region.

The space simulates a real mine tunnel, allowing visitors to witness the coal mining process hundreds of meters underground.

The highlight of the exhibition space is the model simulating the open-pit coal mining process, recreating the Coc Sau coal mine (now Coc Sau Coal Joint Stock Company - TKV) - the unit that won many records in the emulation movement of coal production and mining in the Coal industry. In particular, the experience of "trying to be a miner" in the simulated space of the actual tunnel helps visitors visualize more clearly each mining stage, each production stage of the Coal industry, from modern times back to the French colonial period when workers had to work in damp, narrow tunnels, completely manually and extremely hard, but were still exploited, beaten, and had their wages reduced by the mine owners...

Thanks to that, visitors can understand and feel more deeply about an industry that has gone through many ups and downs, each glorious historical period of the mining workers under colonial rule. They lived, fought, and worked in hardship and danger, but still maintained a strong and resilient spirit like the black coal layers shining deep underground.

Artifacts and photo documents about the stages of struggle and construction of workers in Quang Ninh Mining Area.

As a former naval soldier working in Quang Ninh in 1981, Mr. Cao Van Nam (Nam Dinh province) heard many stories about the coal industry during his military years, and on the special occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Mining Region on April 25 (1955-2025), he decided to return to Quang Ninh with his son and visit the Museum as a way to pay tribute to the past. Mr. Nam shared: Even though I only learned through a simulation model, I still felt some of the harshness and hardship that miners had to face when working hundreds of meters underground, lacking light and air. I truly admire those heroes, who have quietly created a valuable source of "black gold" to build the country.

In addition, occupying half of the exhibition space are many artifacts and photo documents about the proletarianization movement, the general strike in November 1936, the years of resistance, building socialism, the period of fighting against destructive wars, supporting the South to fight the US and the construction and development of the coal industry in the new period. Through each image and document, the story about the miserable and oppressed life of miners under colonial rule is realistically recreated, fostering the spirit of resistance and the desire for freedom. From there, the miners knew how to unite, stand up and fight strongly, writing an epic about the spirit of resilience, solidarity, the spirit of "Discipline - Unity" and the glorious feats of Quang Ninh miners.

The precious artifact is a coal statue of Uncle Ho carved by a worker in Cam Pha and given to Uncle Ho in 1951.

In addition, artifacts that “tell stories” about the Coal industry are also arranged on many floors and other locations in the Museum. Notably, two giant blocks of Anthracite coal, mined in 2012 at a depth of 176m at the Ta Ngan excavation site (Coc Sau Coal Joint Stock Company, now Deo Nai - Coc Sau Coal Joint Stock Company - TKV), are solemnly placed in front of the Museum. In particular, the statue of Uncle Ho made of coal, carved by a worker in Cam Pha and presented to him when he was in the Viet Bac War Zone in 1951, is a valuable and meaningful artifact. After wandering through many places, the statue was collected and returned to the Quang Ninh Museum, as a sacred symbol of the miners' affection, intelligence and hands for the beloved leader of the nation.

The exhibition space about the Coal Industry at Quang Ninh Museum has become a “living memory museum”, a meaningful cultural and historical education address, where visitors can feel the historical depth, indomitable spirit and noble qualities of the miners in the Northeast. Each artifact and document not only recounts the glorious history of the Coal Industry, but also spreads the spirit of “Discipline - Unity”, arousing pride in the revolutionary tradition and the indomitable will of the miners of Quang Ninh. Visiting this place is not only to better understand an important industry, but also a journey back to the roots, to love and be more proud of the people and the heroic Mining Region.

Duy Khoa

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/o-noi-luu-giu-ky-uc-vung-mo-3354859.html