Memoirs of those involved
We had the opportunity to chat with veteran Phan Anh Lam in residential area 3, Muong Ang town (Muong Ang district). He was a soldier in the Dien Bien Phu battle and a living witness to the fierce battles at the Dien Bien Phu battlefield. At the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, Mr. Lam was assigned to Regiment 144, Division 312, and participated in many battles such as: the battles of Hill E, Hill D, and the defense of the northern side of Muong Thanh airport... Now 93 years old, Mr. Lam is still sharp-minded. Speaking about the changes on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, Mr. Lam shared: After the campaign ended, the unit was ordered to withdraw to Phu Tho. Dien Bien Phu was then a battlefield, dug up and devastated by bombs and bullets. Today, Dien Bien Phu has undergone a remarkable transformation with many achievements. Electricity, roads, schools, and medical facilities have been invested in and built to a high standard; Culture, education, and healthcare are given attention; people's lives have improved significantly, and the problems of hunger and illiteracy are gone. My children and grandchildren still take me to visit the old battlefields. Now, transportation is convenient; it only takes about 50 minutes to drive from Muong Ang to Dien Bien Phu City. The city seems to get a new look every year, with modern infrastructure and many large projects put into use to serve socio-economic development. Especially, the province's political security situation remains stable, border sovereignty is maintained, creating favorable conditions for economic development.
As a native of Thai Binh province who joined the new economic development program in the early years after the end of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, Mr. Vu Duc Loi, former Party Secretary of Thanh Binh village, Thanh Luong commune (Dien Bien district), recounted: "59 years ago, when I first set foot in Dien Bien, I was only 17 years old. The infrastructure in the new place was difficult and arduous. There were no roads, it was far from markets and schools, surrounded by barbed wire fences, bomb craters, minefields, and dense bushes. The villagers had to reclaim barren land, dismantle barbed wire fences, and fill in trenches and bomb craters to make land for rice cultivation. By the end of 1964, we had reclaimed 8 hectares of rice fields. From then on, rice, corn, and cassava fields covered the former battlefields with a 'green color of hope'." Dien Bien has now made significant progress, especially in transportation, with both road and air routes.
Development efforts
At every stage of its development, Dien Bien has faced numerous difficulties and challenges, but has strived to overcome them, achieving many accomplishments in all areas of economy , culture, society, and national defense and security. Despite the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the country, region, and the world over the past three years, the province, under the decisive and flexible leadership and guidance of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee, closely adhering to the central government's policies and directions, has implemented key tasks and solutions effectively and comprehensively. As a result, development goals have consistently been met and exceeded. The political system has been strengthened from the provincial level to the grassroots; political security and social order and safety in the province have been ensured. The potential and posture of national defense, linked with the people's security posture, have been enhanced; and the strength of the armed forces meets the requirements and tasks in the new situation. Efforts to combat corruption and waste, and to promote thrift, have been intensified and have proven effective.
Over the years, the province has focused on mobilizing resources to invest in infrastructure development, thereby transforming the appearance of urban and rural areas. The province's transportation network has been developed and expanded. Key transportation projects such as the 60m road (Dien Bien Phu City); 42m and 27m urban roads (Muong Ang district)... have been completed and put into use, not only making urban areas more modern and attractive but also creating momentum to promote socio-economic development. The upgraded transportation system, ensuring that cars can reach 100% of communes, has narrowed the gap between regions, promoting economic development and poverty reduction in rural and mountainous border areas. To date, 21 out of 115 communes in the province have met the standards for new rural areas; 122 villages and hamlets have been recognized as meeting the standards for new rural areas and model new rural areas. Average per capita income in rural areas reached 26 million VND/year; the poverty rate in rural areas decreased to 36.57%.
Administrative reform, coupled with digital transformation, has been vigorously implemented by all levels of government, not only to better serve citizens and businesses but also to innovate and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of leadership and management. To date, the sending and receiving of electronic documents with digital signatures between state administrative agencies has been implemented from the provincial level to the grassroots, achieving many positive results, helping to shorten processing time, reduce paperwork, and ensure transparency.
Building on the achievements already made, and to successfully implement the goals of the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, with the determination to "bring Dien Bien to rapid and sustainable development," Dien Bien province continues to focus on implementing key tasks in the short and long term. This includes focusing on completing the Dien Bien Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. It also involves mobilizing resources to invest in the development of socio-economic infrastructure in a synchronous and progressively modern manner, with a focus on: the Dien Bien Airport expansion project; connecting roads between key economic zones in the dynamic economic region along National Highway 279 and National Highway 12; and the Dien Bien - Son La expressway project. In anticipation of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 2024, Dien Bien province has implemented numerous programs, receiving attention and support from the central government and provinces nationwide, such as: the "Brightening Dien Bien" program, aiming to provide electricity to over 11,000 households in disadvantaged areas; and the construction of 5,000 solidarity houses for poor households.
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