Monument to Martyr Dang Ba Hat

The monument complex depicting the artillery battle and Hero Dang Ba Hat, located on the hilltop that marks the historical event of the 37mm anti-aircraft artillery company in a battle more than 50 years ago, is an impressive outdoor art installation that attracts many tourists to Quang Ninh .

Sculptor Pham Van Hang (center) and his associates at the foot of the monument. Archival photo by sculptor Pham Van Hang.

The sculptor of this monument is Pham Van Hang, who has created many famous sculptures that have been highly praised by art critics and widely appreciated by the public nationwide. The striking feature of the Dang Ba Hat monument is the stylized images created from bomb fragments. According to sculptor Pham Van Hang, every small detail of the monument complex contains profound meaning. These are the bomb casings placed at the base of the monument, shaped into flowers, called "flowers of victory."

The self-defense fighters wore camouflage leaves shaped like hearts, representing that they fought not only with weapons but also with their fervent patriotic hearts. These hearts were made of glass so they would always glow when the sun shone on them. The portrait of the main character, Hero Dang Ba Hat, was made of stone, facing upwards, with him wearing a miner's hat, exuding the unmistakable spirit of a soldier-worker.

The monument is located at the beginning of the Bai Chay Bridge (on the Hon Gai side), where the self-defense soldier Dang Ba Hat bravely sacrificed his life and was later posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. Therefore, the sculptor created the monument to the hero Dang Ba Hat with an epic perspective, rather than depicting bombs, bullets, and war itself. Anything that serves as evidence of war will be found in the museum below.

"The monument itself is merely an artistic representation. Ultimately, what brings about victory, what determines success, is patriotism, not weapons. Therefore, I created the image of Hero Dang Ba Hat dedicating his heart to the Fatherland. Dang Ba Hat fought with a patriotic heart, and from that patriotism, he advanced and achieved victory. After the victory, he joyfully celebrated peace . The rifle butts are too familiar; I didn't depict them. I focused on the symbol of the heart and the light emanating from patriotism…" - sculptor Pham Van Hang explained.

With this project, sculptor Pham Van Hang wants to change the perspective, instead of the familiar propaganda and promotion methods, he wants to create something new and unique for the tourist city of Ha Long, using a fresh viewpoint to attract tourists. This new perspective is to look at war not just in terms of tragedy and suffering. The face of war is no longer as terrifying as it usually is.

“Under the light of patriotism, let us move forward to dedicate our hearts to the Fatherland. Therefore, I designed hearts that transform into flowers of victory, into songs of triumph. And it's not just the miners singing songs of triumph; I also created the image of the people of Quang Ninh's ethnic groups sharing the joy of victory. I designed these hearts out of glass so that they will always shine when the sunlight comes on,” shared sculptor Pham Van Hang.

Comrades and descendants of Captain Dang Ba Hat visited the monument to the hero.

To create this extraordinary work, sculptor Pham Van Hang had to painstakingly search for a 3-meter-high, 8-meter-long stone, selecting and working on it in Ba Ria - Vung Tau for many days. Then, using two cranes, he loaded it onto a large truck and transported it, a journey that took 12 days to reach Ha Long. This doesn't even include other stages of construction carried out in Binh Duong and Da Nang.

After completing the construction in various locations, the team of artists transported the parts to Ha Long for assembly. In addition to stone and fragments of old bomb casings, the sculptors also used stainless steel, as it is a new, beautiful, and contemporary material.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/tuong-dai-liet-si-dang-ba-hat-3310764.html