Huainan City Archives Exhibition Hall

Huainan City Archives Exhibition Hall

The Huainan City Archives Exhibition Hall is a patriotic education base.

I. Construction of the Huainan City Archives Exhibition Hall

The "Huainan Memories — Huainan Archives Exhibition Hall," organized by the Huainan Municipal Archives Bureau and the Huainan Municipal Archives, was built upon the original "Memories of the Energy City — Huainan Archives Exhibition Hall" through continuous enrichment and enhancement of both content and presentation. The original "Memories of the Energy City" (with an area of approximately 400 square meters) was completed in late 2006 with strong support from municipal government leaders and relevant departments, and was designated as a Huainan Municipal Patriotic Education Base by the municipal government on December 5, 2006. This exhibition hall used archives from the municipal archives as its core material, presenting the nearly century-long development history and dramatic changes of the Huainan mining area through panels and physical archival displays. In 2012, the municipal archives relocated to the Nanshan Government Affairs New District, but the original exhibition hall, being a fixed-format display, could not be moved. To ensure the continuity of the patriotic education function of the municipal archives and further leverage its unique role in patriotic education, with approval from the municipal government, the archives assembled a dedicated team to actively establish the "Huainan Memories — Huainan Archives Exhibition Hall." The new exhibition hall has further enriched and improved both content and format compared to the original one, with a total investment of 1.5 million yuan and an area of 800 square meters, located on the third floor of the Municipal Museum. After more than a year of careful preparation, the "Huainan Memories — Huainan Archives Exhibition Hall" officially opened at the Municipal Museum on February 25, 2014. The exhibition features nearly 400 archival images, 15 sets of paper archives, and some physical archival materials, divided into 18 sections including "The Beginning of Mining," "The Difficult Start," "The Formative Stage of Huainan," "The Light of the Railway," "The Early Days of the City," "Years of Change," and "Economic Takeoff." It offers strong visual appeal and educational value. The exhibition hall also includes interactive equipment such as electronic touch screens and digital flipbooks, featuring information on ancient ruins, historical culture, and notable figures related to Huainan.

II. Activities in Recent Years

Since its opening, the "Huainan Memories — Huainan Archives Exhibition Hall" has received an enthusiastic social response. Its well-equipped facilities and extensive collection of images and textual materials have attracted visitors from all walks of life, including tourists, local government employees, primary and secondary school students, and the general public, earning widespread acclaim. According to incomplete statistics, the exhibition hall has hosted over 10,000 visitors to date. Especially during events such as International Archives Day on June 9 and Huainan Archives Day on September 5, visitor traffic has been especially high. In 2014, the Municipal Archives Bureau and the Municipal Education Bureau jointly organized visits for primary and secondary school students, receiving over 1,000 students during the summer vacation alone. To date, more than 30 special patriotic education events have been held. In recent years, with increased publicity, the Huainan Archives Exhibition Hall has gradually become known to the public and has turned into a popular destination for residents to explore Huainan’s history, educate their children, and enjoy leisure time during holidays. At the same time, the exhibition hall has made full use of its "archival resources" to promote and cultivate national and patriotic spirit, turning the site into a key educational platform for people from all backgrounds, especially minors, to learn about patriotism and ideals. Each year, in conjunction with commemorative holidays such as Children’s Day, Party Founding Day, Army Day, and National Day, as well as major events, the exhibition hall organizes visits for government employees, students, members of the public, and party members.