Besides Ha Long Bay and Yen Tu, Quang Ninh also possesses a special, unique and almost non-recurring tourism resource in the whole country: open-pit coal mines and tunnels with majestic beauty and a rich cultural and historical history of the mining industry.
Not only is it a unique geological landscape, this place also contains stories about the labor, creativity and dedication of many generations of miners who have contributed to bringing "black gold" to the country. For tourism professionals, this is a rare resource to develop unique and distinctive products.
Many tourists are said to be willing to pay to have new experiences instead of just visiting familiar products in Ha Long Bay. The development of tourism products from coal mines that have stopped exploitation is said to contribute to diversifying products, attracting and retaining tourists.
In 2006, the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism once coordinated with a number of travel businesses to pilot a tour to visit the open-pit mining site of Ha Tu Coal Joint Stock Company, former Ha Long City. The program only took place for a short time and then stopped, mainly due to safety concerns as well as economic benefits not commensurate with the risks for mining businesses.
After that, many travel companies proposed to allow tourists to visit production facilities and relics of the coal industry, to increase the unique experience for tourists.
In the list of 62 tourism products registered for launch in 2024, the old Cam Pha City registered to open a tour to visit the Deo Nai coal mine.
In early 2025, the old Uong Bi city also went down to survey and study the possibility of coordinating with Vang Danh Coal Joint Stock Company to open tours at mines +122 and +135 - the first two mines put into operation in 1964.
However, until now, everything is still only on paper.
