Quang Ninh Museum: The Iconic Construction of The Coal Land

Quang Ninh Province, the landscape in the northeast of Vietnam, has been famous for the world heritage Halong Bay and the religious complex of Yen Tu Pagoda. Not only that, Quang Ninh also owns a number of iconic buildings, one of which is the Quang Ninh Museum. Taking inspiration from coal, the famous mineral of this province, Quang Ninh Museum preserves the historical and cultural values and educates the future generation about the pride of Quang Ninh people.1

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I. Overview about Quang Ninh Museum

Having unique architecture, charming space and plenty of valuable artifacts, Quang Ninh Museum is located in the complex of cultural works.

Quang Ninh Museum is designed by Spanish architect, Salvador Perez Arroyo, started from 2012 and completed in October 2013. It includes 3 blocks of museum, library and convention connected together by an overhead bridge system. As the typical mineral of Quang Ninh Province is coal, the building is also inspired and built as a symbol on the most beautiful coastal road in Ha Long City. Moreover, the building is assembled with 14,000m² of glass that is resistant to temperature changes. Because of specific architecture, the building looks like a giant mirror reflecting the image of Ha Long Bay.

In the ground floor of the museum block, visitors will have the opportunity to admire a whale skeleton and sailboat models. Visitors will feel like walking in a miniature space of HaLong Bay on the first floor with tubular displaying columns made of modern materials such as steel frame, tempered glass and covering fabric with images of Ha Long Bay along with the light projection technology. The second floor will lead visitors back through periods of history of Quang Ninh Province.

Connected with famous attractions in Quang Ninh Province such as Hong Gai Church, Bai Tho Mountain, Ha Long Marine Plaza Tran Quoc Nghien Temple, Long Tien Pagoda, Vincom Ha Long Trade Center. Quang Ninh Museum is considered a specific tourism product containing the values of daily lives of the locals.

Currently, Quang Ninh Museum is open from 09 to 11:30 AM and 02 to 06 PM (Tuesday to Saturday). The building is contributing to promote the image of Quang Ninh tourism to domestic and international tourists.

II. Highlights of Quang Ninh Museum

1. Location and architecture

Quang Ninh Museum is located at the cultural and tourism center in the east of Halong City. One side of this construction is the most beautiful coast road in Viet Nam, and the other side is the majestic Halong Bay. Not only that, Quang Ninh Museum is surrounded by other well-known constructions such as 30/10 Square and Halong Dolphin Apartment, which are all the venues of attractive events in Quang Ninh Province. Thanks to the favorable position, Quang Ninh Museum has been a tourist attraction in Halong City since its inauguration.

When thinking of a museum in Vietnam, many people might imagine the classic architecture with arched windows, complicated details and meticulous decoration. However, Quang Ninh Museum is one of the exceptions. This museum is built in a minimalist architecture style, which consists of blocks placed side by side. Taking inspiration from coals, the mineral associated with the name Quang Ninh, this museum is completely covered by black glass panels that both create a modern feeling and exude the spirit of the whole construction.

Overall from the outside, Quang Ninh Museum is like a giant mirror reflecting the gorgeous images of Halong sea and sky. The exterior of this construction has an exhibition area, which displays unique art sculptures reminding visitors about the land of coal. Especially, the 28-ton monolithic block here is the largest one in Vietnam, which can attract tourists with its exclusive appearance at first sight.

2. Structure

Including three separated floors, Quang Ninh Museum provides tourists an overview about the land and people in Quang Ninh from past to present. Contrasting to the mysterious black color of the exterior, the interior of Quang Ninh Museum is a world of brightful light, which adorns the highlights of artifacts there. Each floor of the museum has its own theme, and the displaying objects here will tell you the exciting stories you have never heard about this landscape.

The first floor of Quang Ninh Museum is the exhibition of the sea and nature. This area is featured by four large tubular displaying columns covered with cloth, which bear the image of the magnificent Halong Bay. With the light effects, the atmosphere of the first floor is much more appealing to tourists. A sailboat model and a large whale skeleton in this exhibition area will impress tourists immediately.

The second floor of Quang Ninh Museum displays a variety of artifacts, which are typical of the history and culture of Quang Ninh Province. With an arrangement stimulating a boat, the second floor is the home of archeological objects from prehistoric to modern periods, which have witnessed many ups and downs in the history of Quang Ninh. In addition, the second ground of Quang Ninh Museum also represents the victories of the Quang Ninh army and people during the resistant wars, contributing to the victory of Vietnam.

Also on the second floor, there is a cultural and spiritual space attached with Yen Tu Pagoda and Truc Lam Zen Sect. This space displays a miniature model of Dong Pagoda and plenty of ancient artifacts. Next to a large screen showing the impressive images of Yen Tu, there is a place for heritage artifacts dating from the Tran Dynasty in the 13^th century.

The third floor is also the last part of Quang Ninh Museum that shows the whole coal mining industry of Quang Ninh Province in detail. There are models of coal mines, carts and miners that will give visitors an authentic view about this hard but glorious work. On the walls hang historical pictures of Uncle Ho with people in Quang Ninh, which are valuable historical documents educating many generations of Quang Ninh residents.  

III. What to See and Do in Quang Ninh Museum?

1. Taking photos

The outdoor area of Quang Ninh Museum is an ideal destination for stunning photos. Many people, especially the youth, flock there to shoot beautiful photos to keep memorable moments with this iconic building. It is such a pity if you visit the east center of Halong City without dropping by Quang Ninh Museum and taking some photos with this impressive construction.

2. Visiting the museum interior

Getting into Quang Ninh Museum and visiting all floors, you will encounter various unique and precious artifacts, which contain the natural and cultural beauty of the land Quang Ninh. There the tour guide will tell you many intriguing stories related to the artifacts in the museum. Each object there has its own soul and story to transfer to visitors.

3. Exploring the surrounding area

Located in the center of tourism in Halong City, Quang Ninh Museum is connected with other well-known tourist attractions of Quang Ninh such as Halong Dolphin Palace, Bai Tho Mountain and Vincom Halong Center. Visiting Quang Ninh Museum and taking a journey discovering Halong City are a good way for you to get to know more about this pretty city.

IV. How to Get to Quang Ninh Museum?

Quang Ninh Museum is located on Tran Quoc Nghien Street, the longest coast road in North Vietnam. It is about 7.1 kilometers to the east of the center of Halong City. From the city center, you follow Highway 18, turn right to Tran Hung Dao Street then turn left to Tran Quoc Nghien Street. It only takes you about 10 minutes to travel by motorbike or by car to reach Quang Ninh Museum.

From Hanoi, to get to Halong City, you can go by private car or coach. Thanks to the expressway, you will only need about 2 hour to complete the more-than-150-kilometer way from Hanoi to Halong. On the way to Quang Ninh Museum, you will catch the sight of the picturesque scenery of Halong sea as well as pass by some famous destinations in this city.

V. Extra Tips

There are some tips for you to visit Quang Ninh Museum:

• Quang Ninh Museum is open for visitors every day, except for the last Monday of the month.
• You can hire a tour guide who will accompany you during the whole exploration in Quang Ninh Museum. The tour guide who has background knowledge about the history and culture of Halong will provide you with interesting information.
• If you want to take photos and videos inside Quang Ninh Museum, you need to pay additional charges from 100,000 VND to 500,000 VND, depending on your visit duration and type of camera.
• Do not touch the artifacts in the interior of Quang Ninh Museum. You have to pay compensation if you damage the displaying objects there.
• You are not allowed to smoke inside the museum; do not speak too loudly or play in the interior of Quang Ninh Museum.
• Keep the environment clean; do not throw your trash on the ground of the museum.

Quang Ninh Museum is one of the most significant rendezvous of Halong City in recent times. This place attracts a large number of visitors not only due to its educational meaning but also because of its unique architecture. Along with Sun World Halong Park, Ocean Park and Dolphin Palace, Quang Ninh Museum is a new symbol of the dynamic Halong City.