Quang Ninh Museum

The museum was designed by the Spanish architect Salvador Perez Arroyo and opened in 2013 on the Ha Long waterfront: a rectangular block clad entirely in black glass, chosen to reflect the bay and the sky and to refer to the coal that Quang Ninh's economy was built on. Inside, three floors cover the province - the geology and marine life of the bay, its history and archaeology, and the coal industry, with a reconstructed mine gallery and a substantial collection on mining life. The library building beside it is part of the same scheme. It is among the most architecturally ambitious museums in the north.

What you actually see

• A black glass block - reflecting the bay, and referring to coal.
• Three floors on the province - bay, history and mining.
• A reconstructed mine gallery - with material on mining life.
• A 2013 design by Perez Arroyo - unusual for a provincial museum.

When to go

Year round; it is indoors and works in any weather. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

English labelling is uneven. The historical sections follow the official line closely. The black glass shows every mark and the building has weathered. It closes on some Mondays.

Nearby

Ha Long bay boats leave from Tuan Chau and the harbours; Bai Chay is west.