A digitised French-language document. (Photo: baoquangninh.vn)  

Quang Ninh Museum is preserving a rich collection of French-language documentary heritage, including photographs, maps, and administrative documents from the colonial period, hailed as a valuable source for historical and cultural research and a promising asset for tourism development.

The archives consist of administrative records, maps, and technical drawings from 1911–1955 left by French coal companies, along with images capturing coal mining, colonial architecture, miners’ lives, and the local community. These materials not only carry historical value but also offer vivid insights into Quang Ninh’s socio-economic landscape before 1955.

Among the highlights are a series of photographs by François-Henri Schneider documenting mining at Ke Bao in 1890, and some of the earliest colour photographs (1914–1921) taken by French photographer Léon Busy, who produced more than 1,300 colour images across Indochina, including over 60 of Quang Ninh. These rare works are regarded as the earliest colour images of Ha Long Bay, Hon Gai, and Cam Pha.

According to Dr. Nguyen Huong Giang from the French School of the Far East in Hanoi, the collection is more than a historical record, it provides a scientific basis for interdisciplinary studies in history, archaeology, ethnology, and urban and industrial culture. The documents allow researchers to reconstruct the coal industry’s history, the life of mine workers, and the early urbanisation of Hon Gai and Cam Pha, while also exploring French-built churches, public offices, hospitals, and resorts in Quang Ninh during the early 20th century.

However, challenges remain in safeguarding and utilising the materials, with many photographs and films yet to be digitised and some circulating online without proper attribution, raising risks of distortion. Limited human resources with language and archival expertise also hinder exploitation of the collection.

Beyond research, experts highlight the potential for heritage tourism. At a recent seminar on potential for cooperation and sustainable development for heritage and documentation, specialists suggested creating a “Mining Heritage Route” for visitors to explore French colonial architecture in Hon Gai, Cam Pha, and Mao Khe, combined with exhibitions of original photographs to recreate the atmosphere of the mining region in the past. Proposals also include digitising the archives, developing virtual reality reconstructions of Ha Long’s old town and Hon Gai port, and producing photo books, postcards, models, and documentaries.

Preserving, studying, and promoting this French-language documentary heritage will not only help Quang Ninh better understand its past but also transform history into a distinctive cultural and tourism resource, strengthening the province’s appeal as a destination on the world heritage map./.