Unique and distinctive identity

Unlike other provinces in the Red River Delta, the midland and mountainous regions, or the coastal areas, Quang Ninh has a unique mining worker culture. This is a distinct cultural feature and the most characteristic identity of Quang Ninh, unlike any other place.

Discipline and unity are the pillars of the coal industry's cultural development.

Unity and solidarity have long been traditions of the people in border and coastal regions in labor, production, and the struggle against natural disasters and invaders. In these remote, rugged lands, constantly threatened by natural disasters and enemy attacks, uniting into a strong, cohesive force is a necessity for survival; over time, this unity and solidarity have become even stronger, a natural part of the lives of the people in the Northeast region.

The spirit of solidarity and unity in traditional culture has been further enhanced in modern culture since the formation of the coal mining industry in Quang Ninh. From the mid-19th century, Vietnamese people began striking the first pickaxe to mine coal at Yen Lang Mountain (Dong Trieu) according to the decree of King Minh Mang. Later, along with the colonial exploitation by the French in the Northeast region, the workforce of mine workers was formed and developed increasingly in number. These workers came from many different regions and lived together in worker settlements, worker camps, worker villages, and worker neighborhoods.

During the process of working and producing in the mines, especially in the revolutionary struggle against the harsh oppression of colonialism and its collaborators, miners had to unite as a single force to amplify their fighting strength. Since the founding of our Party, unity and solidarity have been a principle of the Party's organization and operation, so this quality has been further honed, developed, and elevated to a new level. Moreover, the working class is a class with a high sense of organizational discipline; industrial production follows assembly lines and is highly specialized, thus requiring workers to cultivate discipline and strictly adhere to labor discipline and organizational discipline.

In particular, during the revolutionary struggle, the mining workers quickly became aware of their historical mission, forming a solid bloc, creating the core values of discipline and unity in the November 1936 General Strike, participating in the self-governing uprising in the August Revolution of 1945, taking over the mining region in 1955, joining the Coal Corps to go south to directly take up arms and fight, simultaneously producing to support the great southern front and fighting to divert enemy fire, achieving the first victory in defending the sea and sky of the mining region, contributing to crushing two escalations of war by American imperialist aircraft into the skies of North Vietnam.

Thus, discipline and unity are cultural traits of Quang Ninh, born from both traditional culture and modern industrial life, with Quang Ninh being one of the cradles of the formation and development of the Vietnamese working class. The spiritual values from the slogans of the General Strike of the past were further developed throughout the periods of resistance against French colonialism, American imperialism, and the defense of the northern border.

Descending into the mine with the miners. — Miners descend into the mine shafts to begin their day of production.

During the period of peace and reunification, these unique cultural values continued to be invaluable assets for the people of Quang Ninh in the process of building their homeland and country during the years of reform. The cultural values of the miners became a driving force for unity among workers in production, fostering innovation in science and technology, leading to high productivity and efficiency, and sustainable economic development coupled with environmental protection. Therefore, discipline and solidarity – unity and solidarity – became a precious tradition, and more importantly, a unique cultural value of Quang Ninh.

Pham Hoc

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