"Witness" in the Resistance War against the French
According to the history of the Party Committee of TP.Hải Phòng, the Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot is located in the area of the former Đồ Sơn military airport (now in District I, Đồ Sơn District). This is the place where the heroic achievements of the army and people of Đồ Sơn Town (now Đồ Sơn District) were recorded during the resistance war against the French colonial invasion (1946-1955).
According to that, the Đồ Sơn military airport was built in 1951, completed in 1952, and put into operation. To ensure the supply of fuel for the operation of aircraft, the French colonialists built a large fuel depot in the airport area, which was strictly protected.
Implementing the Central Committee's resolution to actively coordinate with the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, create conditions for the development of guerrilla warfare, and destroy the enemy's important forces, the Kiến An Provincial Party Committee decided to launch a surprise attack on the Đồ Sơn airport, including the Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot. At 23:00 on January 31, 1954, a provincial army unit launched a surprise attack on the Đồ Sơn airport, destroying the French command post, burning millions of liters of fuel, and destroying 5 enemy aircraft.
The relics left by the Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot are not many, but they are enough to prove the heroic achievements gained during the resistance war against the French colonial invasion.
To commemorate this important historical relic, on May 14, 2004, the People's Committee of TP.Hải Phòng issued Decision No. 452/QĐ-UB, recognizing the Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot as a city-level historical relic.
Abandoned for over 70 years without renovation
The Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot relic is located at the beginning of Lý Thái Tổ Street (District I, Đồ Sơn), next to the Đồ Sơn District Tourism and Relic Management Center. Over 70 years of existence, many of the relic's components have deteriorated. The outer wall is cracked, the glass is broken, and the iron frame is rusty. The round house where the French colonialists stored millions of liters of fuel has also deteriorated, leaking water during the rainy season. Along the corridor, the wall, and the fuel depot roof are covered in moss, with weeds and wild grass growing densely.
According to Mrs. Lưu Thị Thu Huyền, Director of the Đồ Sơn District Tourism and Relic Management Center, since the army took over the fuel depot, this relic has not been renovated, nor has it been included in the development of tours and tourist routes on the territory due to its poor condition.
According to Resolution 22 of 2017 of the People's Council of the city on supporting funds for the renovation and restoration of historical and cultural relics ranked as city-level, the Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot relic was included in the list of relics to be renovated in 2023.
"Recently, through the supervision of the People's Council of the city on the implementation of Resolution 22, the center reported on the current state of the Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot relic and proposed that relevant authorities soon renovate and restore the relic. At the beginning of 2024, the unit also reported to the leaders of the People's Committee of the district to seek guidance on the implementation plan.
The center is conducting a survey and developing a plan to renovate the Đồ Sơn Fuel Depot relic to submit to the People's Committee of the district in the third quarter of 2024, with the hope that the relic will be renovated and become a red address in educating the revolutionary tradition for future generations," Mrs. Huyền said.
