Exhibition marks National Day

Visitors come to see an exhibition of Old and Now Đà Nẵng in celebration of National Day. The exibition, which features nearly 200 photos and documents, will be opening from August 29 to September 6 at Đà Nẵng City's Adminitrative Centre. VNS Photo Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — Nearly 200 archive documents and photos on the central city in the past and now are on display at an exhibition – From Hàn River estuary to liveable Đà Nẵng City – in celebration of the 79th anniversary of National Day, September 2 at the city’s administration centre.

The city’s internal affairs department said documents had been collected from the national archives centres, the city’s historical archive centre, libraries and domestic and international museums over many years.

The exhibition is in two parts – Đà Nẵng from the times of the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-45) to 1975 and from 1975 until today – both for free at No 24 Trần Phú Street until September 6.

The exhibition depicts a long history of the beach city with fights against enemies over the centuries and still preserved relic related to the country’s protection activities.

An old map, which indicates the country's sovereignty of the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) and Trường Sa (Spratly), is also on display at an exhibition in Đà Nẵng City's Administrative Centre. VNS Photo Công Thành

Many old photos and documents relate to the fight of the Vietnamese people against French-Spanish coalition forces in Đà Nẵng in 1858-60 and celebrate Nguyễn Tri Phương (1800-73), a famous general who commanded an army and civilians against the French-Spanish coalition forces.

The city still preserves two martyr cemeteries – the Hòa Vang and Nghĩa Ninh – in honour of more than 4,300 civilians and soldiers killed during the 1858-60 battles against the French-Spanish forces, along with a graveyard of French and Spanish soldiers who died near Tiên Sa Port.

Old images feature the American War and peace time, the French Colonial era, the State of Việt Nam (1949-55), the provisional Democratic Republic of Việt Nam, the Republic of Việt Nam and the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam (from 1975 to now).

An old photo of the Hàn River bank in Đà Nẵng City, which was named Tourane (1888) under the French. VNS Photo Công Thành

The city’s Hoàng Sa Islands (Paracel) Museum has also put on display artefacts and documents showing the legality of Việt Nam’s sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa islands, including a collection of 150 maps published between 1618 and 1908. Many maps show evidence the Paracel and Spratly archipelagoes belong to Việt Nam including 102 books published in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and the Han Chinese script, all showing the frontier of Southern China is Hainan Island.

Photos of bridges spanning over the Hàn River in Đà Nẵng. The central city is known as the city of bridges. VNS Photo Công Thành

An art and musical performance will be staged by the city’s Trưng Vương Theatre’s Troupe at March 29 Square on August 30.