The coal industry exhibition space at the Quang Ninh Museum is captivating not only for its modern design, bearing the mark of talented architects, but also for its profound content, meticulously crafted through the collaboration of experts, officials from the coal industry, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. This exhibition space occupies over 40% of the total exhibition area on the third floor of the Quang Ninh Museum, covering nearly 1,000 square meters, with over 300 photographs, documents, and 200 artifacts arranged chronologically from the French colonial period to the modern era.
Stepping into this space, the first thing that impresses visitors is the coal bas-relief "Glory of Vietnamese Miners," above which is inscribed the prominent red words: "Discipline and Unity" - an immortal slogan that has become the soul and inseparable part of generations of Quang Ninh miners. From this symbol, visitors are guided on a journey to discover the history of the formation and development of the coal industry. Each artifact and each photograph is not simply evidence of the past but also a silent "storyteller," fully conveying the resilient spirit, solidarity, and fervent patriotism of the miners who have contributed to the identity of the mining region.
The highlight of the exhibition space is a diorama simulating the open-pit coal mining process, recreating the mining site of the Coc Sau coal mine (now Deo Nai - Coc Sau Coal Joint Stock Company - TKV) - a unit that has won many records in the coal mining and production emulation movement of the coal industry. In particular, the "try being a miner" experience in the simulated real mine tunnel space helps visitors better visualize each stage of mining and production in the coal industry, from modern times back to the French colonial period when workers had to work in damp, narrow tunnels, entirely manually, with extremely arduous labor, yet were still exploited, beaten, and had their wages cut by the mine owners…
Thanks to this, visitors gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of an industry that has gone through countless ups and downs, and the glorious historical periods of the miners under colonial rule. They lived, fought, and worked in hardship and danger, yet maintained their indomitable spirit, as resilient as the glittering layers of black coal deep beneath the earth.
Having served in the navy in Quang Ninh in 1981, Mr. Cao Van Nam (from Nam Dinh province) heard many stories about the coal industry during his military years. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Mining Region on April 25th (1955-2025), he decided to return to Quang Ninh with his son to visit the museum as a way of paying tribute to the past. Mr. Nam shared: "Even though I only learned through a model, I could still feel the harshness and hardship that miners faced working hundreds of meters underground, lacking light and air. I truly admire those heroic people who silently created this precious 'black gold' to build the country."
Furthermore, occupying half of the exhibition space are numerous artifacts and photographic documents about the proletarianization movement, the November 1936 general strike, the years of resistance, the building of socialism, the period of resistance against the war of destruction, the support for the South in fighting the Americans, and the construction and development of the coal industry in the new era. Through each image, document, and story, the harsh and oppressed lives of miners under colonial rule are realistically recreated, fostering a spirit of resistance and a yearning for freedom. From this, the miners learned to unite, rise up and fight strongly, writing an epic of resilience, unity, "Discipline - Solidarity," and the glorious achievements of the Quang Ninh miners.
In addition, artifacts "telling stories" about the coal industry are displayed on various floors and in different locations within the Museum. Particularly noteworthy are two enormous 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), prominently displayed in front of the Museum. Especially noteworthy is the statue of President Ho Chi Minh made of coal, sculpted by a worker in Cam Pha and gifted to him when he was in the Viet Bac War Zone in 1951. This is a valuable and meaningful artifact. After a journey through many places, the statue has been collected back to the Quang Ninh Museum, as a sacred symbol of the affection, intellect, and craftsmanship of the miners for the beloved leader of the nation.
The exhibition space dedicated to the coal industry at the Quang Ninh Museum has become a "living memory museum," a meaningful cultural and historical educational destination where visitors can feel the depth of history, the indomitable spirit, and the noble qualities of the miners in the Northeast region. Each artifact and document not only recounts the glorious history of the coal industry but also spreads the spirit of "Discipline - Unity," evoking pride in the revolutionary tradition and the unwavering will of the Quang Ninh miners. Visiting this place is not only about understanding a crucial industry but also a journey back to our roots, to further appreciate and be proud of the people and the heroic mining region.
Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/o-noi-luu-giu-ky-uc-vung-mo-3354859.html
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